JAKARTA - Hypertension or high blood pressure is currently still one of the serious health problems in the world. World Health Organization (WHO) data shows that more than one in four men and about one in five women live with hypertension.
In the midst of this high number, research continues to search for effective ways to reduce the risk of hypertension. One study revealed that physical activity plays an important role in reducing the risk of hypertension.
Quoted from Science Alert, on Monday, January 26, 2026, the study highlighted one important thing, namely the benefits of protection against hypertension are not enough to be achieved by actively moving at a young age, but need to be maintained until adulthood.
The study involved more than 5 thousand adults in four cities in the United States, who tracked the participants' health conditions over three decades.
The researchers monitored blood pressure periodically, as well as noting exercise habits, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Then the results showed a consistent pattern.
The level of physical activity tends to decrease sharply from the age of 18 to 40 years, while the number of hypertension actually increases with age.
This pattern is seen in various groups, both men and women, and across races. Thus, researchers consider young adulthood as a crucial period to prevent hypertension in middle age.
Almost half of the participants in the study had low levels of physical activity, and this condition is closely related to the emergence of high blood pressure later.
However, participants who did moderate-intensity exercise for about five hours per week in early adulthood had a much lower risk of hypertension.
"Meeting minimum physical activity standards may not be enough, increasing the duration and consistency of exercise from a young age may be an important strategy to reduce the risk of hypertension," said the study's lead author, Jason Nagata.
This finding reinforces the message that keeping the body active is not just about short-term fitness, but for long-term body health.
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