Extra Childhood Weight Precursor to Adult Heart Disease

In comparison to normal ones, children who are overweight and have high cholesterol, blood pressure and sugar levels are more prone to falling prey to heart disease and strokes when they reach their 30s and 40s. These are the findings of a new study published in the journal Pediatrics.

In the longest study covering children so far, Dr. John Morrison and colleagues at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center covered 771 children between the ages of 6 to 19 years till the time they were 38 years on average. The children were between 30 and 48 years by the time the study completed.

The researchers were searching for a link between early health indicators and adult health problems and cardiovascular issues. The study team found that one out of every five children with any of the health risk factors noted above suffer a heart condition or stroke by the time they reach their 30s and 40s. In comparison, only one out of 67 children with normal readings faces this risk.

The researchers also found that if the children lost weight, their health risks were significantly lowered. “This indicates it’s not hard-wired. Some clearly are more susceptible, but susceptibility isn’t the same as inevitability,” said Dr. William Dietz, Head of the division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Weight is the key driver of the condition Morrison checked for in childhood, called pediatric metabolic syndrome, and losing weight can reduce blood fats, blood sugar and blood pressure,” Dr. Dietz added.

Research has found that at least three out of the following five possible risk factors are present in children with metabolic syndrome: excess weight, low HDL (the good cholesterol), high triglycerides, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar levels.

One study that followed children until age 32 found a link between pediatric metabolic syndrome and thickening of carotid arteries in later life; however the study did not find any incidences of heart attacks or strokes till their early 30s in the children followed.

“The new report underscores the value of prevention,” said Dr. Morrison. “Primary-care doctors and parents have to realize that extra weight in a child isn’t something to shrug at. On the other hand, if they become more active and slim down, they can be healthier by middle age.”

“Most people gain weight after childhood, though, rather than losing,” he said. According to Dr. Dietz, with this gain in weight and surge in childhood obesity, “We may be seeing a lot more early heart disease if we continue in this pattern.”

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