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It is surprising that in early
adolescence there is already evidence of this change," said Dr. JoAnn Manson,
chief of preventive medicine at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital. "The
fact that that is apparent even in young adolescents is of great
concern."
If one's blood vessels are elastic, it's easier for them to pump more blood. The heart has to work harder to pump blood through stiff blood vessels, leaving a person more likely to develop high blood pressure.
"What you want is a very pliable blood vessel that has a lot of give and take," said Dr. Sarah Blumenschein, director of preventive cardiology at Children's Medical Center-University of Texas Southwestern. "Obesity itself appears to be an independent factor for decreased flexibility."