Atherosclerosis in Children?

According to a report presented at the annual American Heart Association meeting in Chicago on Sunday. Children with risk factors for heart disease, including high cholesterol and diabetes, are showing signs of narrowing and hardening of the arteries, conditions normally associated with adults. Researchers found that children at risk already show signs of heart disease, including arterial wall thickness and decreased flexibility of blood vessels. 

The study pulled data from studies that included 3,630 children, comparing the healthy versus those with cardiovascular risk factors. In 12 of 15 studies examined, children with risk factors were more likely to have increased thickness in the arterial walls, which could lead to heart attacks in adulthood, the report said. 

The percentage of overweight young people in the United States has roughly tripled since 1980 to about 18 percent, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The report's lead author, Sanaz Piran, a resident at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada said that testing for children should include regular blood lipid and glucose level testing 

However, to me, the most shocking statement, was that they recommended that earlier treatment could include more aggressive use of cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins. 

What ever happened to eating right and exercising, which could prevent up to 90% of the heart disease, Type II diabetes and obesity. 

In Health,

Jeff