title: Obesity is significantly associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors in 2- to 9-year-olds.
abstract: The objective of this analysis was to estimate the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors in ethnically diverse young children. A retrospective medical chart review identified overweight/obese 2- to 9-year-old children (N=147) from a local pediatric clinic who were matched (for age, sex, and ethnicity) with normal weight patients from the 2005-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (N=294). Comparisons of mean systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, total, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were conducted. Results showed that compared with the population-based normal-weight sample, the local overweight/obese sample was significantly more likely to have diastolic prehypertension (15% vs. 75%, P<.0001), systolic prehypertension (10% vs. 43%, P<.0001), and the lowest quintile of HDL cholesterol (19% vs. 34%, P=.003). At this young age, excess weight is significantly associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors. These results suggest that overweight/obese children in this age group should be monitored closely to prevent potential chronic disease risk.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Clinical Research, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL; Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL; Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Messiah
authors.forename: Denise C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Vidot
authors.forename: Shilpa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gurnurkar
authors.forename: Reem
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alhezayen
authors.forename: Ruby A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Natale
authors.forename: Kristopher L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Arheart
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D002784:Cholesterol