Study reveals increased risk of diabetes and hypertension among women as young as 22

JOHANNESBURG - Research by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Wits University has revealed an increased risk of diabetes and hypertension among women as young as 22.

This has been revealed by a study conducted among women in Soweto as part of the health life trajectories initiative led by agencies in Canada, China, India, and South Africa. 

The study shows that women as young as 22 face similar risks of contracting chronic lifestyle diseases as women more than twice their age.

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In South Africa, diabetes remains the second leading underlying cause of death, only being surpassed by COVID-19, which has since slowed down significantly since the 2020 outbreak.

But the disease and hypertension have previously been associated with middle age, until now.

"Although the prevalence of hypertension is higher in older women, young women already have a much higher prevalence that wouldn't be expected anywhere else because women of 22 have the same burden of risk as the women of 55," said the World Health Association's Nigel Rollins.

The research has also revealed that while both women in their 20s and 50s are almost equally as likely to contract chronic lifestyle diseases, the driver among older women is mainly lifestyle, and among younger women, it is mainly biological and could be influenced by the habits of their mothers when they were pregnant.