A new study examined whether atherosclerotic traits such as arterial stiffness temporally precede the development of hypertension and obesity. This is the first time over 3,800 adolescents, aged 17 years were followed up for seven years. The researchers found that higher arterial stiffness during adolescence increased the risk of systolic hypertension by 20% and diastolic hypertension by two-fold, seven years later.