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Children Face Increased Heart Risks

Studies indicate heart disease on the upswing

February 13, 2008

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Two studies released this week paint a troubling picture for American's health, particularly when it comes to heart disease.

The first, a Mayo Clinic analysis of two decades of autopsy results, shows a long-term decline in the prevalence of coronary disease has ended and the disease may be on the upswing. The findings appear in latest issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

"If this is borne out by future analyses, it will be the first change in the trend since the decline in heart disease death rates began in the mid-1960s," said Cynthia Leibson, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic epidemiologist and senior author of the study.

In their article, the researchers recognize the corresponding rise in national obesity and diabetes rates in roughly the same period but say that further research would be needed to establish any connection.

Meanwhile, the American Obesity Association is out with new statistics, suggesting a whole new generation may be headed down the heart disease path.

The group says an alarming 15.5 percent of children between the ages of six and 11 are considered obese, putting them on a collision course with a coronary. The study concludes parents must do more to keep their children fit and healthy.

"Parents are the gatekeepers and the role models for their children's eating and exercise habits," said Marjorie Milici, M.D., pediatrician on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. "Chronic diseases, such as obesity, heart disease and cancer, which take decades to develop, have their roots in childhood, when exercise and eating behaviors are being learned."

Milici says children should get at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week. Lack of exercise, she says, prevents the breakdown of bad cholesterol in their bodies. Combined with a high-fat diet, it can lead to health problems such as elevated cholesterol levels, heart disease and diabetes when children are older.

A Guide for Parents

Kids are getting too much of the bad stuff and not enough of the good.

TOO MUCH/MANY…
• sedentary time
• busy time
• calories found in lower-nutrient foods
• sugary beverages

NOT ENOUGH…
• physical activity
• rest or downtime (To increase their energy, children usually eat more when they're tired.)
• fiber, vitamin C, calcium, iron
• low-fat dairy products

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