Health and Fitness News and Notes

Babies of older fathers are at greater risk of premature birth, low birth weight and other neonatal problems, a new study reports.

Mothers may also be affected: Those with older partners were more likely to have gestational diabetes, probably because older paternity is associated with changes in the placenta.

The study, published in BMJ, used data gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on more than 40 million live births between 2007 and 2016.

Compared with babies of fathers ages 25-34, those whose fathers were 45-54 had a 15 percent increased risk for premature birth, and an 18 percent increased risk for seizure. They were 14 percent more likely to be admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit, and 9 percent more likely to need antibiotics. Babies of fathers older than 55, although there were few in the study, were at even greater risk. The study controlled for maternal age and other factors.

The lead author, Dr. Michael L. Eisenberg, director of male reproductive medicine and surgery at Stanford, said that for the individual couple the effect is modest, and he would never tell a man he is too old to be a father.

Still, he said, “Men should no longer think their runway is unlimited. Now we know there are some risks that you should take into account when starting a family.”

Adults under 40 with high blood pressure are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease later in life, researchers have found.

A prospective study published in JAMA included 4,851 American adults whose average age was 36. They had their blood pressure measured on two occasions at the start and were followed for an average of 19 years. During the period, there were 228 instances of coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure or peripheral artery disease.

About half the group had normal blood pressure of 120/80 or lower. Compared with them, those with elevated pressure — 120-129/80 or higher — were 67 percent more likely to have had cardiovascular problems. People with readings of 130-139/80-89 had a 75 percent increased risk, and those with readings above 140/90 were 3 1/2 times as likely to have some type of cardiovascular disease.

The lead author, Dr. Yuichiro Yano, an assistant professor of community and family medicine at Duke, said that a young person with elevated blood pressure should pursue heart-healthy measures, especially weight control.

“There is no evidence that pharmacological treatment in people under 40 with elevated blood pressure is really beneficial,” he said. “So it’s hard to say you should do that based on this observational study. We need a randomized trial. Then we can decide.”