Obese Children and Heart Disease
October 22nd, 2007 Posted by: Dr. Cox
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Obesity is a major Men’s health problem, and the risks just got more serious. New research reveals children who are obese or at risk for obesity show early signs of heart disease similar to obese adults with heart disease.
In the United States, 19 percent of children ages 6 to 11 and 17 percent of those aged 12 to 19 are overweight.
Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis analyzed data from 168 children between ages 10 and 18. The children had all been referred to a center for cardiac ultrasound with various symptoms including heart murmurs, chest pain, acid reflux and high cholesterol. Thirty-three of the kids analyzed in the study met the criteria for being obese, 20 were at risk for obesity, and 115 were considered normal weight.
In the study, researchers found the rate of motion of heart muscle in children who were obese changed. As the childâs body mass index for age (BMIA) increased, researchers found alterations in both the relaxation and contraction phase of the heartbeat.
Angela Sharkey, M.D., from Washington University School of Medicine, was quoted as saying, âMany of these changes that have been seen in adults were assumed to be from long-standing obesity, but it may be that these changes start much earlier in life than we thought.â She continued, âBased on this study, these subtle markers can help us predict who could be at risk for heart disease and heart attacks.â
Dr. Sharkey and colleagues report they hope the results of this study lead to the ability to intervene early in the disease process.
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SOURCE: Journal of Cardiometabolic Syndrome, 2007;2:30-34