If your father died young, keep a close eye on your blood pressure.That’s the warning of a French study reported Monday at the American Heart Association annual conference on cardiovascular disease, epidemiology and prevention in Washington, D.C.Researchers found the premature deaths of fathers -- but not mothers -- indicates an increased risk of high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke among both men and women."This is a useful additional marker for heart disease risk,” said Dr. Mahmoud Zureik, a cardiologist at the French medical research institute INSERM, who presented the report.
