Obesity, elevated blood pressure prevalent in younger Black women, even those in their 20s and 30s<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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FRIDAY, May 14, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Young Black women show a high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, held virtually from May 15 to 17.<\/p>\n
Nishant Vatsa, M.D., from Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, and colleagues assessed age at diagnosis of obesity, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia among Black women participating in a community screening program (2015 to 2018). The analysis stratified women into 20-year age cohorts (20 to 39 years: 217 women; 40 to 59 years: 469 women; and \u00e2\u0089\u00a560 years: 259 women).<\/p>\n
The researchers found that mean body mass index was highest in the middle age group. Systolic blood pressure increased with cohort age (20 to 39 years: 122 mm Hg; 40 to 59 years: 132.7 mm Hg; \u00e2\u0089\u00a560 years: 141.8 mm Hg), as did cholesterol (20 to 39 years: 173 mg\/dL; 40 to 59 years: 194.1 mg\/dL; \u00e2\u0089\u00a560 years: 196.8 mg\/dL). However, low-density lipoprotein levels were higher in younger Black women (20 to 39 years: 87.9 mg\/dL; 40 to 59 years: 66.7 mg\/dL; \u00e2\u0089\u00a560 years: 70.7 mg\/dL). More older Black women reported limiting salt intake and ate fast food less than three times a week compared with younger Black women. While not a significant difference, more older Black women exercised >30 minutes at least three times a week (20 to 39 years: 6.5 percent; 40 to 59 years: 8.2 percent; \u00e2\u0089\u00a560 years: 13.4 percent). Smoking rates were similar across the age groups. <\/p>\n
“Interventions like educating young women about healthy dietary choices and the benefits of exercise, improving access to health care and enhancing the ability for people to adopt healthy practices — such as increasing access to healthy foods and safe areas for physical activity — needs to start early,” Vatsa said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Press Release<\/a><\/p>\n