"The message is urgent about the importance of prevention of cardiovascular disease in childhood. Lifestyle modification with appropriate diet and exercise can reduce cardiovascular risk in children," said lead author Daniel L. Preud'Homme, M.D., associate professor of medicine at the Wright State University School of Medicine and director of the lipid clinic at The Children's Medical Center, both in Dayton, Ohio.
Lipoproteins transport cholesterol throughout the body. Lipoprotein subclasses and the size of lipoprotein particles can be measured by a test that uses nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to provide a more detailed lipid profile than standard lipid panels.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is sometimes called "good" cholesterol because it returns cholesterol to the liver where it can be eliminated. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is often called "bad" cholesterol because of its association with clogged arteries and increased cardiovascular risk. In addition, studies have linked smaller LDL particle size with higher risk.
The study focused on 160 children, average age 12.6 years, who were evaluated at Wright State University's pediatric lipid clinic. Severe (morbid) obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) of 36 and above, which is higher than that of 99 percent of children the same age and gender (the 99th percentile on BMI growth charts).
Of the children, 53 percent were boys and 47 percent were girls. Seventy percent were categorized as white/other, including four children who were Hispanic, Native American or Asian, while 30 percent were black.
They found differences between black and white children in
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Contact: Carole Bullock
carole.bullock@heart.org
214-706-1279
American Heart Association
30-Apr-2005