title: Cardiovascular risk-factor profiles of normal and overweight children and adolescents: insights from the Canadian Health Measures Survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is no cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor profile in a representative sample of Canadian children and adolescents according to weight status. The 2007-2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey, launched by Statistics Canada in partnership with Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, provides an opportunity to address this gap.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Canadian Health Measures Survey collected information at 15 sites across Canada from March 2007 to March 2009 from Canadians aged 6 to 79 years living in private households. The survey consisted of a household interview and a visit to a mobile examination centre to perform physical measurements, including anthropometry, blood pressure, and biospecimen collection. The present analysis is based on data from 2087 children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children and adolescents who were overweight or obese had on average higher mean concentrations and higher prevalence of adverse levels of CVD risk factors (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein B, C-reactive protein, homocysteine, and insulin levels) than did normal-weight children and adolescents. Adjustment for covariates (gender, age, household education, household income adequacy, and province of residence) and compliance with recommendations for daily steps, soft-drink intake, and sleep duration did not alter the differences in CVD risk factors between normal weight and overweight or obese children and adolescents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of this study underscore the importance of excess weight as an independent risk factor for CVD health in early life and call for primary prevention of overweight and obesity in childhood to reduce CVD risk.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. katerina.maximova@ualberta.ca
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maximova
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuhle
authors.forename: Zachary
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Veugelers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002170:Canada; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011322:Primary Prevention; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids