Over a third of young individuals suffer from hypertension owing to unbalanced diet and binge drinking.

As per the survey, a worrying 35% of those aged 16-34 have high blood pressure, regardless of the widespread faith that it is an 'old age' trouble.

Around one in 20 of those showed harsh or very severe raised BP level, the examination conducted on over 8,000 people in Britain discovered.

Specialists blamed binge drinking, improper diet and lack of workout for the high levels of hypertension that raised the chance of strokes, heart failure and kidney troubles.

Shafeeque Mohammed, a health expert at Lloydspharmacy who conducted the survey, said that the rise in high BP in young people as of "particular" concern.

He said, "Although we must bear in mind that a one-off blood pressure test is not conclusive, cumulatively the average readings were higher than anticipated. High blood pressure is something that most people don't think they need to worry about until later in life, but it can affect you at any age."

"There are also a number of factors that can contribute to higher blood pressure including smoking, lack of physical activity, obesity, an unhealthy diet and excess alcohol. It's important for young adults to recognise the risk and take action by managing their lifestyles carefully," Mohammed added.

The research involved an analysis of 8,586 BP tests, which were conducted between January and June this year.

The survey also found that one in 10 adults over the age of 55 showed signs of severe or very severe hypertension, putting themselves at serious risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Males were found to be higher than women, with three in four classed as having high normal blood pressure or some level of high blood pressure.

Eoin O'Brien, professor at University College Dublin, warned that an increase in BP can lead to significant health problems. (With Inputs from Agencies)