Friday, September 13, 2013

Childhood Obesity Quadruples Chances of Adult Hypertension: Study – WebMD

Childhood Obesity Quadruples Chances of Adult Hypertension: Study – WebMD: The study authors also found that overweight children had double the risk of high blood pressure, or hypertension, later in life.

"We've shown that the risk for hypertension starts in childhood," said study author Dr. Sara Watson, a pediatric endocrinology fellow at Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University in Indianapolis. "That period is very important. There are changes in obese children that contribute to risk of cardiometabolic diseases." So-called cardiometabolic diseases are caused by high blood pressure, high blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and excess belly fat.

If left unchecked, high blood pressure can lead to cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke.

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