Silent pressure on our youth: Confronting hypertension early

By Chidimma Benson

There is also a dangerous assumption that feeling fine means being healthy.Hypertension is often called a silent condition because a person may have high blood pressure without obvious symptoms. The WHO explains that hypertension can contribute to serious conditions such as heart disease, stroke and kidney damage.

For many young Nigerians, hypertension sounds like a problem meant for their parents or grandparents. Mention high blood pressure and the image that often comes to mind is an older person being warned to reduce salt, avoid stress and take better care of their health. But that perception needs to change.

Hypertension does not wait for old age before becoming a health concern. While the available national statistics often focus on adults rather than young people specifically, they reveal a broader problem that young Nigerians should not ignore.

The World Health Organization’s 2025 Nigeria hypertension profile estimates that 32 per cent of adults aged 30 to 79 in the country had hypertension in 2024. Of the estimated 22 million Nigerians in that age group living with hypertension, only 13 per cent had their blood pressure controlled.

These figures should make us ask an important question: if many adults are already living with undiagnosed or uncontrolled high blood pressure, are young Nigerians doing enough to understand their own health risks?

The answer, unfortunately, may be no. One major problem is that young people often do not see regular health checks as necessary. A student may spend an entire semester worrying about examinations, school fees, accommodation, transportation and the future without ever thinking about checking their blood pressure.

The pressure does not end with academics. Young people also face unemployment, financial difficulties, family expectations and the constant pressure to succeed. In an environment where everyone seems to be competing to move forward, taking a break can sometimes feel like falling behind.

Then there is lifestyle.Busy schedules can make convenience more attractive than healthy choices. Some young people rely heavily on processed foods or meals that are high in salt, while physical activity may be pushed aside by long hours of studying, working or sitting with a phone or computer.

But this is not simply a matter of blaming young people for their choices. Healthy living can be difficult when healthier options are not always affordable, accessible or convenient.

There is also a dangerous assumption that feeling fine means being healthy. Hypertension is often called a silent condition because a person may have high blood pressure without obvious symptoms. The WHO explains that hypertension can contribute to serious conditions such as heart disease, stroke and kidney damage.

This is why waiting until someone feels sick before paying attention to blood pressure is not enough.

Nigeria’s 2024 Demographic and Health Survey provides another reason for concern. Among men aged 20–24, only 18.5 per cent had ever had their blood pressure measured by a health worker, while the figure was 27.8 per cent among men aged 25–29.

The figures are not proof that young Nigerians are experiencing a hypertension epidemic. They do, however, point to an important problem, many young adults may not be checking their blood pressure regularly enough to know where they stand.And ignorance is not protection.

Universities and other institutions should therefore make preventive healthcare more visible. Simple blood-pressure screening exercises, health-awareness programmes and accessible counselling can help young people understand that healthcare should not begin only when illness becomes obvious.

Students also need to take responsibility for their wellbeing. Eating a balanced diet where possible, staying physically active, getting adequate rest and finding healthy ways to manage stress are not signs of weakness or unnecessary luxury. They are part of protecting one’s health.

Parents and guardians have a role too. When a young person complains repeatedly about feeling unwell, the response should not always be, “You are still young; you will be fine.” Sometimes the responsible thing is to encourage the person to speak with a qualified health professional.

Most importantly, young Nigerians need to stop treating preventive healthcare as something reserved for older people.

The reality is that the habits developed during youth can influence health later in life. The earlier people become conscious of their blood pressure, diet, physical activity and general wellbeing, the better positioned they are to make informed decisions about their health.

The conversation about hypertension must therefore begin before the doctor’s warning, before the diagnosis and before a health crisis.

Young people are often described as the leaders of tomorrow. But leadership requires more than ambition. It requires health, awareness and the willingness to take care of oneself.

Hypertension may be a silent threat, but our response to it should not be silent.

We should talk about it in our homes, schools, universities and communities. We should encourage young people to ask questions, seek proper medical advice and take preventive healthcare seriously.

Because being young should never be an excuse for ignoring your health.

Chidimma Benson is a Public Affairs Analyst.