Being obese as a teenager raises risk of heart disease in later years

Carrying too much weight thickens cardio muscles and raises blood pressure in adults

Being overweight as a teenager raises a person’s risk of heart disease in later life, new research suggests.

Carrying too much weight at 17 is linked to having higher blood pressure and thicker heart muscles at 21, a study found.

High blood pressure damages the heart’s arteries, which, along with thick cardio muscles, makes it harder for blood to be transported around the body, leading to coronary disease , according to Daily Mail.

 Lead author Dr Kaitlin Wade, from the University of Bristol, said: ‘Our results support efforts to reduce body mass index to within a normal, healthy range from a young age to prevent later heart disease.’ 

How the research was carried out 

The researchers analysed the BMIs of thousands of people at 17 years old and again at 21.

These participants were first involved in the ongoing Children of the 90s study. 

‘Higher BMIs cause changes in the heart structure’ 

Speaking of the results, Dr Wade said: ‘Thickening of vessel walls is widely considered to be the first sign of atherosclerosis, a disease in which fatty plaques build up within the arteries and lead to heart disease. 

‘However, our findings suggest that higher BMIs cause changes in the heart structure of the young that may precede changes in blood vessels.’

They plan to investigate the relationship between elderly people’s BMIs and heart structures, as well as how weight affects a person’s risk of other diseases.

Handful of strawberries every day reduces the risk of dying from heart disease by 40%

This comes after research released earlier this month found eating a handful of berries every day reduces people’s risk of dying from heart disease by 40 per cent.

Antioxidants known as anthocyanins, which give the fruit their colour, lower the risk of the condition by improving artery stiffness, lowering blood pressure and reducing inflammation, a review of 25 studies found.

Some 16 per cent of heart related deaths are caused by a low fruit intake, the research, adds.

Previous studies suggest a poor diet is the leading cause of heart disease fatalities worldwide.

N.H.Kh