Young at Heart at Risk

Today's youth who are struggling with obesity or diabetes may be at serious
risk later in life. Recent studies show that youngsters who struggle with
such issues may be in store for serious hardening of arteries and heart
disease.

A Forbes health article said, "The walls of these carotid arteries, which
carry blood to the brain, showed a thickening and stiffness known to
increase the risk of future strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular
problems, according to a report to be published in the June 9 issue of
*Circulatio. *Dr. Elaine Urbina, director of preventive cardiology at Cincinnati
Children's Hospital Medical Center, associate professor of pediatrics at the
University of Cincinnati and lead author of the report. "This could be the
first generation of Americans that has a shorter life expectancy than its
parents," she said."

The plaque built up in arteries is typically what heart scans look to find
and detect early on, usually physicians recommends high risk patients over
the age of 35 to get yearly scans. But with studies showing the potential
for young children to be adversely affected it may be a beneficial idea to
get high risk kids checked as well.

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