Heart disease may begin in the womb, research suggests.A study by Cambridge University found that adults who suffered chronic hypoxia - low oxygen - in the womb are more likely to show red flags for the condition, like high blood pressure or stiff arteries
Chronic hypoxia is the most common side effect of pregnancy complications, such as pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes or just the expectant mother smoking
The study was led by Professor Dino Giussani, from the department of physiology, development and neuroscience
Heart disease kills one in three people, the scientists wrote in the journal PLOS Biology
It is widely accepted that our genes interact with our lifestyle habits - such as obesity and smoking - to determine our heart disease risk
But the new study - partly funded by The British Heart Foundation - shows this risk may be set out before we are even born
Share this article Share 11 shares To determine if this risk can be offset, the researchers gave pregnant sheep vitamin C while placing them in reduced-oxygen chambers for their last trimesters
Vitamin C helps to thin the blood, reducing blood pressure.'Sheep and humans share similar development milestones in cardiovascular anatomy and physiology,' the authors wrote
At nine months old, the sheep's offsprings' heart functions were compared against lambs delivered from normal pregnancies
Results suggested low oxygen restricted the lambs' growth and caused 'internal stress'
By adulthood, the sheep had narrower blood vessels, which caused hypertension. The researchers found vitamin C somewhat helps to boost oxygen supply across the placenta but is relatively ineffective
Nonetheless, the scientists believe their study provides proof-of-concept that antioxidants can help lower hypertension
The method works by 'bringing preventative medicine back into the womb', first author Dr Kirsty Brain, from the department of physiology, development and neuroscience, said
The researchers add more emphasis should be placed on preventing, rather than treating, heart disease
'Our discoveries emphasise that when considering strategies to reduce the overall burden of heart disease, much greater attention to prevention rather than treatment is required,' Professor Giussani said
'Treatment should start as early as possible during the developmental trajectory, rather than waiting until adulthood when the disease process has become irreversible
' WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF I HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?High blood pressure, or hypertension, rarely has noticeable symptoms
But if untreated, it increases your risk of serious problems such as heart attacks and strokes
More than one in four adults in the UK have high blood pressure, although many won't realise it
The only way to find out if your blood pressure is high is to have your blood pressure checked
Blood pressure is recorded with two numbers. The systolic pressure (higher number) is the force at which your heart pumps blood around your body
The diastolic pressure (lower number) is the resistance to the blood flow in the blood vessels
They're both measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg).As a general guide:high blood pressure is considered to be 140/90mmHg or higherideal blood pressure is considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHglow blood pressure is considered to be 90/60mmHg or lowerA blood pressure reading between 120/80mmHg and 140/90mmHg could mean you're at risk of developing high blood pressure if you don't take steps to keep your blood pressure under control
If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs, such as the brain, kidneys and eyes
Persistent high blood pressure can increase your risk of a number of serious and potentially life-threatening conditions, such as:heart diseaseheart attacksstrokesheart failureperipheral arterial diseaseaortic aneurysmskidney diseasevascular dementiaSource: NHS
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