A study has found that people aged between 18 to 49, with high systolic blood pressure over 140, are at greater risk of stroke, damage of kidneys and brain.

The condition, called isolated systolic hypertension (ISH), occurs in people aged 18 to 49, who exhibit systolic blood pressure of 140 or higher (versus the optimal of under 120), but a normal diastolic pressure of around 80.Systolic pressure is the top number in a blood pressure reading and diastolic is the bottom number.The researchers took cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) pictures of the participants' hearts to assess the condition of the aorta - the major artery that carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the body.

The common approach of ignoring higher systolic blood pressure levels in younger adults may be wrong, said study author Dr. Wanpen Vongpatanasin from UT Southwestern Medical Center's Hypertension Program. Dr. Vongpatanasin added that doctors should consider treating these patients sooner rather than later, as not treating these individuals can lead to more brain and kidney damage in the future.The findings suggested that the incidence of isolated systolic hypertension in Americans 18 to 39 more than doubled over the last two decades and is now estimated to be about five percent.

The study, published in the journal Hypertension, found that the threat of aortic stiffness is not only real, but also visible.The team examined 2,001 participants in the Dallas Heart Study.The next step will be to scan kidneys brains, and hearts of participants from the Dallas Heart Study to determine what effect the aortic stiffening has had.Identify new genetic, protein, and imaging biomarkers that can detect cardiovascular disease at its earliest stages, when prevention is most effective.