Obese adolescents have heart damage

ScienceDaily (May 21, 2012) — Obese adolescents with no symptoms of heart disease already have heart damage, according to new research.

See Also:Health & MedicineObesityHeart DiseaseStroke PreventionCholesterolDiseases and ConditionsChronic IllnessLiving WellReferenceEchocardiographyBody mass indexOverweightNutrition and pregnancy

The findings were presented at the Heart Failure Congress 2012, 19-22 May, in Belgrade, Serbia. The Congress is the main annual meeting of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology.

Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and previous research has shown that obese adults have structural and functional changes to their hearts. The current study investigated the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and cardiac function in overweight and obese adolescents with no symptoms of heart disease.

For the study, 97 healthy adolescents had their weight, height, waist circumference and hip circumference measured. BMI and waist/hip ratio were calculated. Blood and biochemistry tests and an echocardiogram were performed. Based on their BMI, patients were divided into three groups: lean (L

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