Physicians and parents alike are worried about obesity among young children. A study released today shows that obese and overweight children have the same plaque build up as 40-year-old adults do. This alarming fact is prompting cardiologists to urge young children to get their arteries and hearts scanned. Obesity is running rampant and is nearly an epidemic these days, and the plaque build up in the neck arteries is of serious concern.
Cardiologist Dr. Geetha Raghuveer says, “
The blood vessels of obese youngsters age more rapidly than those of their normal-weight counterparts -- raising their risk of developing heart disease at an earlier age.”
This research was discussed and presented at the American Heart Associations 2008 conference just this week. Dr. Raghuveer and her colleagues did the study on nearly 70 obese children, most of whom had high cholesterol, blood pressure and were at great risk of developing serious heart conditions like stroke or heart attack.
After all they say you’re as old as your arteries. It may be time to get our kid’s arteries back to their youthful ages.
