Boys' Blood Pressure Often Higher Than Girls...

Action is the foundational key to all success. ~ Pablo Picasso

A five-year study of more than 1,200 students in Montreal found that the risk of higher systolic blood pressure increased 19 percent a year for boys, but remained stable for girls. Systolic blood pressure, the larger of the two numbers in a blood pressure reading, represents pressure when the heart is fully contracted.

This is the first study to document gender differences in blood pressure in adolescents and could help in the development of new strategies to reduce rates of hypertension in young male adults, the researchers said.

The complete findings are published in the current issue of the journal Circulation but you can read more about it in this Men's Health Article . You can also find some background information on blood pressure at: Medline Encyclopedia

Take preventive health action: Eat healthy, excercise, and have your blood pressure check regularly.