Are Our Children At Risk Of Early Heart Disease Or Stroke?

Online, March 21, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Obesity in children has been acknowledged as a significant issue for many years. Now it is being reported that obese children are developing dangerously high blood pressure as well as cholesterol levels that would be normal in 50-year-olds.

Doctors at Great Ormond Street today revealed that patients as young as eight are being referred to them with conditions so severe they risk early heart disease or strokes.

These children are at risk of early heart disease or strokes but doctors warn they are less likely to respond to drugs such as statins, which had been developed for adults.

Dr Lee Hudson, an expert in child and family health, warned that such children face greater dangers than adults because they do not respond well to drugs such as statins.

The medical researcher told the Standard: "What we're finding is metabolic syndrome (high blood pressure) and early diabetes - things you would find in a 40-year-old.

"We're seeing 13-year-olds with a lipid (cholesterol) profile you would find in a 50-year-old and eight- to nine-year-olds with high blood pressure. It means big trouble."

The problem has been partly blamed on parents failing to educate their children about portions and feeding them high-fat diets based on convenience foods. Doctors say these children risk long-term damage to their heart and arteries even if their diet improves in later life.

Great Ormond Street, UCL Institute of Child Health and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have now launched the largest ever research programme into childhood obesity. The project, called Promise, will target 13- to 17-year-olds with a body mass index above 30, using confidence-boosting techniques traditionally employed to treat drug and alcohol addicts.

Researchers will also investigate the safety of weight-loss surgery, the efficacy of anti-obesity drugs and ways to manage teenage obesity. Ultrasound scans will be used to measure the health impact of obesity on children such as stiffening of the arteries.

Dr Hudson, who is involved in Promise, said: "Eating is an addiction but scaremongering and lecturing don't work. There are massive parallels with how we tackle alcohol and drugs. It's about giving them self-esteem, getting them to reason with themselves."

One in nine children starting school in the capital is now obese, the highest level in the country. Tower Hamlets and Hackney are the worst affected boroughs.

Next month, the London Assembly will publish its investigation into child obesity. It will outline ways in which Boris Johnson can encourage healthy eating and exercise.

Through its online presence High Blood Pressure Insider encourages people to manage their high blood pressure through a healthy lifestyle and enjoy the many benefits of a healthy heart.

If you're concerned about your children's health and would like to know more about how to control cholesterol and blood pressure levels without taking medication, then visit High Blood Pressure Insider at http://highbloodpressureinsider.org