Boys Develop Risks for Heart Disease Even During Adolescence

A new study from the University of Minnesota suggests female hormones start protecting girls from heart disease as early as the teen years.

Dr. Antoinette Moran, chief of pediatric endocrinology and diabetes at the University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, studied 507 young people ages 11 to 17. At age 11, the boys and girls were similar in body composition, blood pressure, and lipid levels. As they went through adolescence, the boys' blood pressure and "bad" cholesterol levels increased and their "good" cholesterol levels decreased, putting them at increased risk for heart disease. The opposite occurred in girls.

Overweight children had increased risks for heart disease, regardless of sex.

This study was published in the journal Circulation.
 

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