Obese Children Show Signs of Heart Disease

Stiffened Arteries, High Blood Pressure Found in Overweight, Obese Children

Sept. 24, 2004 -- Obese children as young as 6 may already be well on their way to heart disease and other chronic health problems, according to new research.

In two separate studies, researchers found that compared with children of normal weight, obese children have much stiffer arteries and are more likely to have a range of risk factors that make up what is known as "metabolic syndrome," which increases the risk of heart disease.

Both studies appear in the October issue of Diabetes Care.

Metabolic Syndrome Rising in Overweight Children

In the first study, researchers looked at the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among adolescents aged 12-19.

Metabolic syndrome occurs when many disorders that affect the body's metabolism are present at the same time, including obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. The condition has been studied primarily in adults, and researchers say little is known about how it affects children.

Based on a national sample of 991 adolescents, researchers found the prevalence of metabolic syndrome increased from 4.2% in 1992 to 6.4% in 2000. Overall, researchers estimate that more than 2 million American adolescents suffer from the syndrome.

The study shows that the condition was more common in boys than girls.

But metabolic syndrome was most prevalent among overweight adolescents, defined as having a weight that is greater than 95% of children of similar sex and age. Nearly a third of overweight adolescents had metabolic syndrome, compared with only 7% of those at risk for becoming overweight (weighing more than between 85% and 95% of their peers).

"The metabolic syndrome is a complex disorder, and there's no simple test for it," says Nathaniel Clark, MD, MS, RD, national vice president of clinical affairs at the American Diabetes Association, in a news release. "The individual components, such as obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are all conditions that are serious and can contribute to disease.

"This research underscores the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle as early in life as possible by following a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy body weight, increasing physical activity, and avoiding tobacco smoke."

Obese Children Have Stiffer Arteries

In the second study, Italian researchers compared the arteries of 100 obese and 47 healthy children aged 6-14 years.

They found that the obese children were already experiencing changes in their arteries that, when found in adults, are considered early signs of atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.

"You can see vascular changes already in really obese children," says researcher Maurizio Trevisan, MD, of the School of Public Health and Health Professions at the University at Buffalo, in a news release. The obese children had arteries that were thicker and stiffer than those of the normal-weight children.

In addition, the obese children were less sensitive to insulin (a precursor to diabetes) and had higher blood pressure, cholesterol, and C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation tied to heart disease) than normal-weight children.

"We know that obesity in childhood increases the risk of [hardening of the arteries] and death in adulthood," says Trevisan. "It is important for parents of obese children to help their children control their weight and get early treatment for these obesity-associated risk factors."

SOURCES: Duncan, G. Iannuzzi, A. Diabetes Care, October 2004; vol 27: pp 2506-2508; 2438-2443. News release, University of Buffalo. News release, American Diabetes Association.