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(Ivanhoe Newswire) Researchers believe high blood pressure can be traced back to a persons childhood. Analyses of blood pressure tracking studies over the past 40 years showed a consistent relationship between childrens blood pressure levels and their blood pressure as adults.
Nearly 73 million adults in the United States have high blood pressure, or hypertension, and many of them may have had the same problem as children.
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The blood pressure tracking data indicate that children with elevated blood pressure levels often grew up to become adults with elevated blood pressure, Youfa Wang, M.D., Ph.D., lead researcher and associate professor with the Bloomberg Schools Center for Human Nutrition. It is important to monitor blood pressure in children -- since early detection and intervention could prevent hypertension and related disease risks later in life.
Researchers also found older children seem to have a stronger blood pressure tracking into adulthood. A previous study conducted by Dr. Wang found approximately 60 percent of American adults had pre-hypertension or hypertension in 1999 to 2000. This condition can lead to heart disease, heart failure, stroke and kidney failure.
SOURCE: Circulation; published online June 16, 2008
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