Now, adult blood pressure risk can be identified in childhood
Posted on: 14/Oct/2015 10:50:48 AM
A study published in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association high blood pressure risk in adults can be identified in childhood itself. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Otago. A famous study called the Dunedin Study was conducted on more than 1000 people who were born during 1972 and 73 in Dunedin. The new study is based on findings based on this one.
Researchers used information on the blood pressure of people between 7 and 38 years of age. The participants belonged to one of four blood pressure groups. The results showed that more than 30% of the participants had blood pressure risk by their early mid life.
The scientists said that they could identify high blood pressure risk at an early stage during childhood. They hope that this information will be useful during health screenings. The results also showed that those who had higher body mass index and were used to smoking cigarettes had increased blood pressure over time. Encouraging lifestyle changes beginning early in life that include the maintenance of a healthy body weight, weight reduction and stopping smoking may help to lower blood pressure levels over time, particularly among those individuals on a trajectory to developing hypertension, they said.
