New findings from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health found as many as one in 100 black men and women develop heart failure before the age of 50, 20 times the rate in whites of this age group.  In the study, heart failure developed in black participants at an average age of 39, and was often preceded by risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity and chronic kidney disease (CKD) ten to 20 years later.
 
These findings show how devastating high blood pressure in young adulthood, especially if uncontrolled, can be for developing heart failure later on in life. The results of the study also found a need for early intervention for young adults with high blood pressure, cholesterol and obesity.
 
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the second leading cause of kidney disease in the United States.

This article originally appeared in the April 2009 issue of Kidney Beginnings: The Electronic Newsletter.