January/February 2002
HEALTH BYTES

Teen health can signal later heart disease

High blood pressure and overweight in teens are two of the most important early risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis in adults, according to a finding presented at the fall conference 2001 of the American Heart Association’s Council for High Blood Pressure Research. In the study of 750 people, researchers found that the higher their blood pressure at age 13, the thicker the artery walls at age 30, and the relationship was stronger in women than in men. Additionally, increased weight further worsened the effects of high blood pressure.