(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Obesity in children has been linked to diabetes,
low self-esteem and other problems. Now, research is showing that obese kids may
have another problem lurking -- heart disease.
The neck arteries of obese children look more like those of a 45-year-old,
according to new research. “There’s a saying that ‘you’re as old as your
arteries,’ meaning that the state of your arteries is more important than your
actual age in the evolution of heart disease and stroke,” Geetha Raghuveer,
M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Missouri
Kansas City School of Medicine, was quoted as saying.
Researchers used ultrasound to measure the thickness of the inner walls of the
carotid arteries. Thickness of the carotid artery indicates fatty buildups of
plaque, which can lead to heart attack and stroke. Researchers studies 34 boys
and 36 girls (average age of 13) who were considered at-risk.
Results showed the children had abnormal levels of one or more types of
cholesterol, high body mass index (BMI) and an average carotid artery thickness
of .45 millimeters, which would typically be seen in someone about 30 years
older than the children studied.
SOURCE: American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2008, Nov. 8-12, 2008
in New Orleans, La.
