High blood pressure – in kids
The ever-increasing sphere of
high blood pressure, and high body weight – in kids. This is Dr. Steven Andrew Davis, Speaking of
Health. The bombardment – if you pick up
on it – comes from all sides. High
calorie foods; too much TV watching; kids getting fatter; not exercising; high
blood pressure. And yes – they are all
linked.
A study published recently in
the Journal of the AMA notes that hypertension appears often to
originate in childhood, and that childhood hypertension “strongly predicts”
hypertension in young adulthood. What’s
more, hypertension in adults is related to obesity, and the prevalence of
obesity in adults is rising. In fact, in
little more than the decade leading up to the year 2000, the incidence of
hypertension in American adults increased almost 15%. The research team thinks “much of this
increase appeared to be explained by the …increase in (obesity during the same
time frame). And who is most affected by
these increases in obesity and hypertension?
Minority groups – African-American boys and girls and Mexican-American
boys, “relative to non-Hispanic whites.”
Obese or not obese – in
children, as in adults – that, in part, is where the pressure lies. For a copy of this script and the journal reference
access our web site, speakingofhealth.com.
Speaking of Health, I’m Dr. Steven Andrew Davis, for CBS News.
Ref: Muntner P et al: JAMA,