Raising Kids May Lower Blood Pressure:
A new Brigham Young University study found that parenthood is associated with lower blood pressure, particularly so among women. ... The study involved 198 adults who wore portable blood pressure monitors, mostly concealed by their clothes, for 24 hours. The monitors took measurements at random intervals throughout the day -- even while participants slept. This method provides a better sense of a person's true day-to-day blood pressure. Readings taken in a lab can be inflated by people who get the jitters in clinical settings. It's a real phenomenon known as the "white coat" effect, and it can mess up the results of studies done without the portable monitors. A statistical analysis allowed the researchers to account for other factors known to influence blood pressure -- things like age, body mass, gender, exercise, employment and smoking -- and zero in on the effect of parenthood. ...
