High Blood Pressure Risk Evident In Kids

A recentstudy from New Zealand suggests that people at risk of developinghigh blood pressure before age 40 can be identified in childhood. Researchers from the University of Otago tracked more than 1,000 people in Dunedin, a coastal city in New Zealand, from their births in 1972-73 to the present. They collected information about the blood pressure of all the individuals from the time they were 7 years old until they reached 38 and found that more than one third were at risk of developing high blood pressure by early mid-life. Those at highest risk were male, had a family history of high blood pressure, were first born and were born with a lower than normal birth weight. Inaddition, the researchers reported that having a high body mass index and smoking cigarettes were linked to increasing blood pressure over time, especially among those having the other risk factors. The study also showed that the individuals at risk of high blood pressure were also more likely to have higher cholesterol levels as well as other health problems by age 38. The researchers suggested that losing weight (or maintaining a healthy weight) and not smoking might help reduce theoverall risks, and noted that their findings could help physicians identify individuals at risk of high blood pressure while they’re still young. 

Source: Dr. Weil's Daily Health Tips - October 11, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Dr. Weil Tags: Science and Supplement News children's health high blood pressure kids Source Type: blogs