For a long time, hypertension was thought of as something that happened mainly to older people.
Something your parents worried about.
Something you expected to hear about after decades of work, stress and ageing.
But hypertension does not wait until retirement.
Young adults can develop high blood pressure too, and recent Nigerian studies are drawing more attention to the burden among younger populations. A 2024 study among medical students aged 18 to 35 in Enugu found both prehypertension and hypertension among participants. More recent research involving adults aged 18 to 45 in Ibadan has also examined hypertension in this younger age group, highlighting the importance of detecting elevated blood pressure earlier in life.
This does not mean that every young Nigerian is developing hypertension or that we have definitive evidence of a sudden nationwide epidemic among people in their 20s and 30s. What it does mean is that hypertension should not automatically be dismissed as an “older person’s disease.”
And that matters because high blood pressure can develop without obvious symptoms.
“But I feel fine.”
That may be exactly the problem.
Most people with hypertension do not have noticeable symptoms. You cannot reliably tell that your blood pressure is high because you have a headache, feel tired, or occasionally feel dizzy.
The only reliable way to know your blood pressure is high is to measure it.
According to the World Health Organization, hypertension is generally diagnosed when blood pressure is persistently at or above 140/90 mmHg, based on measurements taken on different days. A single high reading does not necessarily mean that someone has hypertension.
This distinction is important.
You could feel perfectly healthy and have hypertension.
You could also have a temporary increase in blood pressure because of stress, physical activity, caffeine, pain or other factors without having chronic hypertension.
That is why proper measurement and follow-up matter.
So why can a young person develop hypertension?
There is no single answer.
Age is an important risk factor, but it is only one part of the picture. Family history, genetics, body weight, diet, physical activity, alcohol use, tobacco exposure and certain medical conditions can all influence blood pressure. Some people can also develop hypertension because of another underlying condition or medication.
Lifestyle and environmental changes may also contribute to cardiovascular risk.
Think about the reality of everyday life for many young Nigerians.
Long hours sitting at work.
Limited opportunities for physical activity.
Convenience foods when there is little time to cook.
Frequent consumption of processed or restaurant foods.
Poor sleep.
Alcohol use.
Financial pressure.
And, for some people, prolonged psychological stress.
None of these factors should be treated as a simple explanation for every case of hypertension. But collectively, they can influence cardiovascular health.
Research in Nigeria has found associations between hypertension and factors including low physical activity, body weight, alcohol use and other sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics.
It is not just about adding salt to your food
When people hear “hypertension,” one of the first things they often think about is table salt.
And yes, sodium matters.
But sodium does not only come from the salt shaker.
It can also come from processed foods, bread, processed meats, snacks, sauces, seasoning and bouillon cubes, instant foods and meals prepared outside the home.
The World Health Organization recommends that adults consume less than 2,000 mg of sodium per day, equivalent to less than 5 g of salt. High sodium intake is associated with raised blood pressure.
This does not mean you need to completely eliminate salt from your diet.
It means paying attention to how much sodium is coming from your overall diet.
And there is another side to the conversation: potassium.
Foods such as beans, vegetables and fruits can contribute potassium to the diet, and adequate potassium intake is associated with healthier blood pressure levels.
So instead of asking only:
“How much salt did I add?”
It may be more useful to ask:
“What does my overall diet look like?”
You do not have to eat imported “health foods” to eat for better heart health
Healthy eating does not have to mean expensive salads, imported grains or foods you cannot pronounce.
Many familiar Nigerian foods can fit into a heart healthy eating pattern.
For example:
- Beans and moi moi
- Vegetables such as ugu, efo and okra
- Garden eggs
- Fruits that are in season
- Sweet potatoes
- Unripe plantain
- Whole or minimally processed grains
- Unsalted or lightly salted nuts and groundnuts
- Fish and other lean protein sources
The goal is not to label individual Nigerian foods as “good” or “bad.”
It is to build a dietary pattern that contains more vegetables, fruits, legumes and minimally processed foods while reducing excessive sodium, highly processed foods, sugary drinks and foods high in saturated and trans fats.
And affordability matters.
For many Nigerians, telling someone to “just eat healthier” without considering food prices, access, cooking facilities, work schedules and household responsibilities is not particularly useful.
Nutrition advice needs to work in real life.
What about exercise?
You do not need a gym membership to become more physically active.
Walking counts.
Dancing counts.
Cycling counts.
Active commuting counts.
Household activities count.
Sport counts.
The World Health Organization recommends that adults accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, alongside muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days each week.
You do not have to achieve this perfectly from day one.
If you currently spend most of your day sitting, starting with regular walks and gradually increasing your activity is more realistic than attempting an extreme exercise routine for two weeks and abandoning it.
The important thing is consistency.
And then there is stress
This part requires some nuance.
Stress is real, and prolonged stress can affect behaviours and physiological processes that influence cardiovascular health. It can also interfere with sleep, physical activity, eating patterns and alcohol use.
But saying “stress causes hypertension” is too simplistic.
Financial pressure, traffic, job insecurity, family responsibilities and other forms of chronic stress are part of the environment in which many Nigerians live. They deserve attention as broader determinants of health, but they should not distract from other established risk factors such as high sodium intake, physical inactivity, excess body weight, alcohol use and tobacco exposure.
In other words, we should take stress seriously without blaming every case of hypertension on stress.
What can young Nigerians actually do?
The answer is not to completely overhaul your life overnight.
Start with the things that are realistic for you.
1. Know your blood pressure.
Do not wait until you feel sick before checking it.
If you have access to a reliable blood pressure monitor or health facility, have your blood pressure measured periodically. If you get an unusually high reading, repeat the measurement appropriately and seek professional advice rather than diagnosing yourself from one reading.
2. Pay attention to sodium.
You do not necessarily have to stop eating your favourite foods.
Instead, look for ways to gradually reduce added salt and high sodium ingredients and be mindful of frequently consumed processed and packaged foods.
3. Eat more plant foods.
Try to make vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and other minimally processed plant foods regular parts of your meals.
4. Move more.
If you sit for most of the day, look for opportunities to walk, stretch, take the stairs where appropriate, dance or participate in other activities you actually enjoy.
5. Maintain a healthy weight where appropriate.
Body weight is only one part of cardiovascular health, and someone can have hypertension without being overweight. But excess body weight is an established risk factor for high blood pressure.
6. Be mindful of alcohol and tobacco.
Excessive alcohol consumption and tobacco use increase cardiovascular risk and can contribute to high blood pressure.
7. Take sleep seriously.
Good sleep supports overall cardiovascular and metabolic health. If you consistently struggle with sleep, do not simply assume that being constantly tired is normal.
8. If you have hypertension, do not rely on lifestyle changes alone.
Lifestyle changes can help prevent and lower blood pressure, but some people need medication.
If a doctor prescribes antihypertensive medication, stopping it because you “feel fine” is not a safe approach. Hypertension often has no symptoms, which means feeling better does not necessarily mean the condition has disappeared.
What about people who are young, slim and apparently healthy?
They still need to pay attention.
Being young does not make someone immune to hypertension.
Being slim does not guarantee normal blood pressure either.
And having no symptoms certainly does not guarantee that blood pressure is normal.
Family history and genetics can contribute to risk, while conditions affecting the kidneys, endocrine system and cardiovascular system can also cause or contribute to hypertension in some younger people.
This is why the conversation should move away from:
“You are too young to have high blood pressure.”
and towards:
“Let us check and understand what is happening.”
Prevention cannot be an individual responsibility alone
There is another part of this conversation that deserves attention.
It is easy to tell people to eat better, exercise more and reduce stress.
But what happens when healthier food options are less affordable?
What happens when someone spends several hours commuting every day?
What happens when work requires sitting for eight or ten hours?
What happens when preventive health checks are difficult to access?
These are not simply matters of individual discipline.
The World Health Organization recognizes that the social, commercial and physical environments in which people live influence behaviors associated with noncommunicable diseases.
That means hypertension prevention also requires stronger primary healthcare, accessible screening, healthier food environments, better health education and policies that make healthy choices more achievable.
So, what should we actually do?
We should stop waiting for hypertension to become someone else’s problem.
Not because every young person is destined to develop it.
Not because every headache means your blood pressure is high.
And not because you need to live a perfectly “healthy” life.
But because knowing your blood pressure, understanding your risk factors and making sustainable lifestyle choices can help protect your cardiovascular health over time.
Prevention is not about perfection.
It is about making informed choices consistently and seeking appropriate care when you need it.
At The Nutree Health Company, we believe health education should reflect the realities of everyday Nigerians.
That means moving beyond fear based messaging and unrealistic wellness advice.
It means helping people understand their health, make practical nutrition and lifestyle changes, and know when professional support is necessary.
Because taking care of your blood pressure should not begin when you are old.
It should begin with knowing where you stand today.
References
- Nwoke, O.C., et al. (2024). Prevalence of Prehypertension, Hypertension, and its Determinants Among Young Adults in Enugu State, Nigeria. Nigerian Medical Journal, 65(3).
- Patterns of blood pressure and factors associated with hypertension among young adults in Ibadan, Nigeria. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, 2026.
- World Health Organization. (2025). Hypertension. WHO.
- Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with hypertension in Nigeria: results from a country-wide survey. BMC Public Health, 2022.
- World Health Organization. (2026). Sodium reduction. WHO.
- World Health Organization. (2025). Healthy diet. WHO.
- World Health Organization. (2024). Physical activity. WHO.
- World Health Organization. (2025). Noncommunicable diseases. WHO.