Two in three severely obese children already have at least one risk factor for heart disease, new research shows. The study findings revealed 67% of 307 severely obese children had at least one risk factor for heart disease.
Over half had high blood pressure and a similar proportion had high levels of low density (LDL), or bad, cholesterol. Fourteen per cent had high fasting blood glucose and just under 1% had type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure are all modifiable risk factors for heart disease. Only one child’s obesity was attributable to medical rather than lifestyle factors. The study, cited on the British Heart Foundation website, was first published online in the BMJ journal, Archives of Disease in Childhood.
