New Study Reveals Heart Muscles of Obese Children Already Show Changes

According to a an article which will be in the Winter 2007 issue of the Journal of Cardiometabolic Syndrome, children who are obese "show early signs of heart disease similar to obese adults with heart disease".

The medical release was published by Washington University in St.Louis and referenced a study done by their school of Medicine.

Dr. Angela Sharkey, associate professor of pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine and a pediatric cardiologist at St. Louis Children's Hospital was one of the doctors involved in the study. Dr.Sharkey states, "Based on this study, these subtle markers can help us predict who could be at risk for heart disease and heart attacks".

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the problem of childhood obesity in the United States is widespread. The CDC also states that obese children are at risk for adult obesity, which can cause diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. According to the medical release the CDC estimates 19 percent of United States children in the 6-11 yr old age group to be overweight.

Dr. Steven M. Lorch, who is currently at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, also worked with Dr. Sharkey on this study. One hundred sixty eight children between the ages of 10 to 18 years were studied in the course of treatment and testing for symptoms of heart murmur, chest pain, acid reflux or high cholesterol. The children were evaluated according to the CDC guidelines for body mass index (BMI). The study found that approximately 20 percent of the 168 patients were found to have a BMI considered by the CDC to be obese. This finding agrees with the CDC's estimated percentage of obese children in the United States. Another 12% were found to be overweight and close to obesity. Sixty eight percent of the children in this study had a BMI rate considered by the CDC to be in the normal range.

The study employed a new technology called vector velocity imaging. This is a Doppler technique that was used to follow movement of the heart muscle in the children who were found to either be obese or in the overweight category. The researchers then compared the results to the data they found when they studied the heart muscle of the children who were considered to have a normal BMI.

According to Dr. Sharkey, the heart muscle of the patients who were obese not only was found to have changes in the rate of motion, but also "alterations in both the relaxation of the heart muscle and the contraction phase of the heartbeat ". Dr Sharkey goes on to state that the medical community has previously thought that these types of findings among adult patients were present because of a long history of obesity. The study shows that the changes in the heart muscle start much earlier than previously thought.

Dr. Sharkey hopes that a benefit of the study will be that pediatric cardiologists will be able to convince parents to take a more active role to improve the health of their children. She states that parents should encourage regular exercise and provide a healthy diet, so that their children will have a normal Body Mass Index.

According to the medical release, this study may help pediatric cardiologists to better care for their patients.

The study also cites the need for more studies to determine if the changes in the heart are reversible with weight loss.

Sources used:
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/534412/

http://mednews.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/10334.html