Being obese in childhood could cause heart damage, researchers find

The extra pounds that obese children carry around may be damaging their hearts, a study finds.

Researchers looked at data on blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index for 63 obese children and 55 normal weight kids, average age about 13. The children also had echocardiographs done to evaluate the health of their hearts and blood vessels.

Systolic blood pressure was only slightly higher in the obese group compared with the normal weight group, and HDL and LDL cholesterol were normal in both groups. But kids in the obese group showed aortic stiffness, usually seen in older adults who have cardiovascular disease.

“We know there is an association between unhealthy lifestyles and heart disease,” said Dr. Beth Abramson, a spokeswoman for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, in a news release. “Our kids are at risk. Poor nutrition and inactivity are threatening their health and well-being. We must rethink the lifestyle standards we have accepted as a society to protect the future health of our kids.”

The study was presented this week at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2010 in Montreal.