Oh Baby, Is That Where Hypertension Starts?
FRIDAY, Aug. 9 (HealthScoutNews) — Can a tendency for high blood pressure be traced to infancy? A new study has found that babies who don’t mind the taste of salt have higher blood pressure than infants who can’t stand the stuff. The researchers believe this early response to salt could indicate which babies might go on to develop hypertension, or high blood pressure. Here’s the reasoning: a preference for salt in infancy could indicate salt sensitivity, a condition in which salt in the diet is a major factor in hypertension. The link was made stronger because babies who had at least one grandparent with hypertension had the highest blood pressure readings of all, according to the study. The researchers admit they’re still a long way from being able to detect in infancy who’s going to get high blood pressure. But ultimately, that’s the goal, says Dr. Stephen Zinner, lead author of the study and chairman of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston. “It’s possible the tendency for h
