The prevailing wisdom was that obesity didn't have a significant impact on health until adulthood. However, a new study shows that extra bodyfat, even in teens who are not overweight or obese, can have a detrimental effect on artery health.
A study appearing in the Sept. 20 issue of Circulation reports that:
Even teenagers who aren't overweight can show signs of cardiovascular damage if they carry excess bodyfat.
As early as age 13 teens showed evidence of reduced blood vessel elasticity -- an early warning sign of heart and vascular disease in adults. Higher amounts of body fat were associated with lower elasticity.
The teens who weighed the most appeared to have the greatest risk. But even those who were not considered obese or even overweight showed evidence of reduced blood vessel function.
Pediatric cardiologist Stephen Daniels, MD, says the study offers some of the best evidence yet that carrying excess body fat early in life can lead to the blood vessel damage that is a major cause of heart attack and stroke.
Daniels is a professor of pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and a spokesman for the American Heart Association.
Read the rest of the WebMD article here.
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