High Blood Pressure In Teens May Indicate Trouble Down The Road
By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor
High blood pressure has long been considered a risk factor for heart disease. But now new research finds that elevated blood pressure in the late teens helps predict the chances of heart disease later on.
A study at Northwestern looked at nearly 5,000 black and white men and women ages 18-30 over a period of 25 years. They found that young adults with borderline-high or high blood pressure that either remained elevated or increased over time had the highest odds of having a coronary artery calcium score of 100 or more – a signal of heart disease.
We know that obesity is an issue in young people and the study suggests we need to attack this aggressively.
