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Hypertension is no longer a condition confined to older adults, with specialists warning that the disease is increasingly being diagnosed in people as young as their 30s in Türkiye.
The warning came at the 5th Black Sea Family Medicine Congress, held May 16-19 at the Buyuksehir Belediyesi multipurpose hall in Samsun under the theme "Family Medicine in the Age of Artificial Intelligence."
Sessions focused on hypertension awareness coincided with World Hypertension Day on May 17.
Prof. Dr. Erdinc Yavuz, a faculty member at Samsun University's Department of Family Medicine, said hypertension is often called a "silent killer" because it frequently presents no symptoms, leaving many patients unaware of their condition.
He noted that hypertension can lead to heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and chronic kidney failure, and that a significant number of dialysis patients reached that stage due to uncontrolled blood pressure.
Yavuz said research indicates that only half of hypertension patients are aware they have the disease, and of those who are aware and on medication, only approximately half have their blood pressure under adequate control.
He recommended that citizens visit their registered family physician regularly to have their blood pressure checked and, if a personal blood pressure device is available, to monitor readings at home.
If elevated levels are detected, patients should seek diagnosis and treatment through their family health center.
Yavuz also pointed to dietary habits as a significant obstacle to blood pressure control in Türkiye, citing high salt content in bread, salads, cheese and olives as common dietary sources.
He recommended reducing salt intake, regular walking and exercise, and proper nutrition as key lifestyle adjustments alongside medication where necessary.
Statistically, one in three adults in Türkiye has hypertension, according to Yavuz, who added that awareness levels remain low. He said monitoring patients after diagnosis is as important as the diagnosis and treatment itself.
Yavuz said the shift toward younger patients is being driven by increased obesity rates, growing insulin resistance and wider waistlines. He noted that clinical guidelines, which previously recommended treatment or monitoring from age 40 onward, have been revised downward in light of this trend.
The Health Ministry now recommends that all adults aged 18 or older have their blood pressure checked at least once a year.
A related study presented at the 25th International Eastern Mediterranean Family Medicine Congress also highlighted hypertension in young patients.
The research, prepared by Dr. Mustafa Cihat Celikoz and research assistant Dr. Betul Karaagac from Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University's (AFSU) Department of Family Medicine, received third place in the Best Poster Presentation category.
The study examined a rare endocrinological cause behind resistant hypertension and persistent headaches in a young patient.
The researchers said the work was recognized for its systematic diagnostic approach, educational value, and contribution to clinical awareness of the underlying causes of resistant hypertension in young adults.
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