Obesity is a serious health issue that is a matter concern of most of the parents in the United States. Over weight paves way for serious health issues, both physical and mental. Over weight children also shows signs of depression. Obesity in teenagers is a risk factor causing diabetes, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, and hypertension. Obesity also may trigger the risk of developing heart disease as adults.

But they may not have to wait to face these devastating results. A recent study conducted on 460 teenage American Indians has revealed that heart abnormalities were already common in obese adolescents.

The study says that left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH, a thickening of the wall of the heart’s left ventricle) was present in 12.4 percent of overweight teenagers and 33.5 percent of the obese teens. But only 3.5 percent of adolescents among them has a normal weight. In the health research, LVH was accompanied by some heart abnormalities similar to those seen in heart failure. A similar association between obesity and LVH has been identified in other adolescent populations in the United States of America.

LVH in adults is resulted by the high blood pressure and obesity. Obesity in childhood does of course result in LVH in adults. The study conducted on 460 teenage American Indians shows that the increased heart size among the adolescents cannot be accounted for high blood pressure. It appeared to be greater than expected, as due to the extra work the heart must perform in a body of excessive weight.

The authors’ research journal suggests that the enlarged hearts of these teens may be due partly to growth-promoting effects of elevated insulin levels, which are also common among the obese teenagers. This revelation of LVH in obese adolescents does serve as yet another reason for parents to make every effort possible to to ensure the cutting down of obesity among their children.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 10th, 2008 at 6:18 am and is filed under Obesity. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.