Researchers found that the higher systolic blood pressure
children have, the more likely they'll have hardened arteries
when they're in their late 30s and 40s. The finding shows the
importance of checking children's blood pressure, according
to study author Shegnxu Li.
He and his colleagues analyzed data obtained every three to
four years from Bogalusa Heart Study participants between 1973
and 2001. The Bogalusa Heart Study is the longest running, biracial,
community-based study of heart disease risk factors that begin
in childhood. Bogalusa is in Louisiana.
The study also found that, over the years, cigarette smoking
and levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol and triglycerides also
were predictive of hardened arteries early in adulthood. But
systolic blood pressure in childhood was the strongest predictor.
The study appears in the March issue of Hypertension.
"The changes in our cardiovascular system that lead to heart
disease begin very silently and slowly," cardiologist and Bogalusa
Heart Study founder Dr. Gerald Berenson says in a prepared statement.
"Our research is showing that these changes may begin even
earlier than we had thought, which means we have the opportunity
to start preventing heart disease beginning in childhood," Berenson
says.
More information
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