Managing Cardiovascular Risk in Overweight Children and Adolescents

Abstract

The scientific, medical, and lay communities are currently confronted with a serious medical and public health problem related to the marked non-remitting worldwide epidemic of obesity. This ever-increasing prevalence of obesity is accompanied by a host of inherently associated co-morbidities. As a result, obesity is fast becoming the major cause of premature death in the developed world. As pediatric and adult cardiologists, we have seen a dramatic increase in office referrals of overweight and obese children and adolescents, who already have obesity-related degenerative disease processes such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, the metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, as well as manifestations of early preclinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, not previously observed in this age group. This article presents a review of the literature and recent scientific statements and recommendations issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) regarding the metabolic abnormalities associated with obesity, including newer identification and treatment strategies for obesity, dyslipidemia, and early subclinical coronary artery disease seen in high-risk children and adolescents.

Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease from an Early Age

“…The most important risk factors for the development of atherosclerotic disease are: hyperlipidaemia, hypertension, smoking, diabetes, high fibrinogen, male sex at a younger and middle age, menopause in women taking oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy only with the presence of other risk factors, excessive weight, increased levels of homocysteine, physical inactivity, heredity and immune response in some diseases [6,7].…”

“…In the United States and Western Europe, where risk factors have been preventively eliminated for a long time, mortality rates "fell" below 50%. Prevention included avoiding risk factors: instead of obesity subjects should have normal body weight according to sex, age and height, work out or quick walk at least half an hour each day, because 40% of our bodies are comprised of skeletal muscles that are designed to move [6]. The primary intention of prevention is to preclude the occurrence of risk factors for atherosclerosis, and the secondary is to prevent the development or aggravation of the illness along with the reduction or control of existing risks.…”

“…The representative sample of students in elementary and secondary schools in Canton Sarajevo were selected via random sample selection. The number of respondents in all elementary (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8) and secondary (1-4) grades was balanced. Pupils were interviewed in written form.…”

Detection of Cardiac Disease using Data Mining Classification Techniques

“…Current year's medical sector is producing large amount of data related to diagnosis disease, patients, hospital resource and medical devices, etc. [6]. This data is the main source for effective analysis of data and from this, extract key information that motivates the healthcare community.…”

Dietary Fatty Acids and Vitamin B3: An Effective Treatment Strategy for the Metabolic Syndrome?

“…Incorporating a cluster of metabolic abnormalities, the metabolic syndrome (MS) was advocated by several organizations as a major predictor of CVD and T2D [3][4][5][6]. MS is characterized by four major traits: increased abdominal fat, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia [7].…”