Two out of three very obese kids already have heart disease risk factors: High blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose evident even in under-12s

ScienceDaily (July 23, 2012) — Two out of three severely obese kids already have at least one risk factor for heart disease, suggests research published online in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

See Also:Health & MedicineHeart DiseaseObesityHypertensionCholesterolChildren's HealthDiet and Weight LossReferenceDiabetes mellitus type 2Body mass indexAdipose tissueLow density lipoprotein

The prevalence and severity of childhood obesity has been rising worldwide, but little research has been carried out on the underlying health problems that children with severe weight problems have, say the authors.

They base their findings on data supplied by pediatricians to the Dutch Paediatric Surveillance Unit between 2005 and 2007.

During this period, doctors treating all new cases of severe obesity in children from the ages of 2 to 18 across The Netherlands were asked to supply information on their patients' cardiovascular risk factors, including high blood pressure, fasting blood glucose levels, and blood fats (lipids).

The definition of severe obesity started at a body mass index (BMI) of 20.5 for a 2 year old, at 31 for a 12 year old, and at 35 for an 18 year old.

Over the three years, most (87% to 94%) of pediatricians submitted their monthly findings on every severely obese child they treated to the surveillance unit, providing information on 500 children in all.

When pediatricians were contacted again, with a request for further data, 363 responded and 307 of their children were correctly classified as severely obese.

Just over half (52%) of these 307 children were boys. They tended to be more severely obese at the younger end of the age spectrum; the reverse was true of girls. Full information on cardiovascular risk factors was available for 255 (83%).

Two out of three (67%) had at least one cardiovascular risk factor. Over half (56%) had high blood pressure; a similar proportion (54%) had high levels of low density 'bad' cholesterol; one in seven (14%) had high fasting blood glucose; and just under 1 per cent already had type 2 diabetes.

And "remarkably" say the authors, almost two thirds (62%) of those aged 12 and under had one or more cardiovascular risk factors. Only one child's obesity was attributable to medical rather than lifestyle factors.

Nearly one in three severely obese children came from one parent families.

"The prevalence of impaired fasting glucose in

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Doctors Spar Over Cholesterol Screening in Kids

HealthDay – 1 hr 40 mins ago MONDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers are debating the merits of recent guidelines that recommend all children aged 9 through 11 be screened for high cholesterol levels, along with certain groups of younger children and teenagers.

The guidelines were written by a panel convened by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and published in the journal Pediatrics last November.

But now doctors publishing in the current issue of Pediatrics say the guidelines are too aggressive and not based solidly on evidence. The paper is joined by a rebuttal from the authors of the guidelines.

The critics of the guidelines make many arguments, including that the guidelines were based more on expert opinion than on solid evidence and that many authors of the guidelines reported industry disclosures.

Dr. Stephen Daniels, chairman of the guidelines panel and head of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, defended the panel Monday to the Associated Press.

Industry ties "were vetted during the discussions of the panel and I think really did not influence the debate," he told the AP.

Daniels, a co-author of the rebuttal, reported having worked as a consultant or advisory board member for Abbott Laboratories, Merck and Schering-Plough, now part of Merck. Seven other panel members also made disclosures.

But the critics had other objections as well.

"There is expense and inconvenience to the family to have to get to the doctor before breakfast," said Dr. Thomas Newman, co-author of the journal commentary article, referring to the recommendation that higher-risk 2- to 8-year-olds and 12- to 16-year-olds be screened after fasting.

There also is the issue of potentially giving lifetime medication to a large group of people. The guidelines estimated that about 1 percent of kids would be put on cholesterol-lowering medications if the guidelines were followed.

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Docs at odds over kids' cholesterol test guidance

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DHA Helps Make Healthier Cholesterol

Many studies associate DHA Docosahexaenoic acid Essential omega 3 fatty acid integral to the health of all cell membranes, nerve and brain function. Must be gotten through the diet via cold water oceanic fish or some very limited plant sources or taken as a supplement. intake with a reduction in cardiovascular disease, even though DHA Docosahexaenoic acid Essential omega 3 fatty acid integral to the health of all cell membranes, nerve and brain function. Must be gotten through the diet via cold water oceanic fish or some very limited plant sources or taken as a supplement. is not considered a nutrient that typically lowers cholesterol.  A new study in Eskimos proves that DHA Docosahexaenoic acid Essential omega 3 fatty acid integral to the health of all cell membranes, nerve and brain function. Must be gotten through the diet via cold water oceanic fish or some very limited plant sources or taken as a supplement. intake influences the quality of cholesterol you have, regardless of whether or not you are overweight.

When you get a basic lab test that shows your LDL, HDL, and total cholesterol, it does not show what kind of condition your cholesterol is in.  We are learning more and more that quality, both in terms of LDL and HDL, makes a huge difference to the potential for cardiovascular risk.  For example, only damaged LDL cholesterol Low-density lipoprotein. It is a group of lipids and proteins that allow lipids like cholesterol, triglycerides, and fat soluble nutrients (Vitamin A, D, E , K, Q 10, carotenes) to be transported with the water-based bloodstream. becomes plaque, regardless of the amount of LDL in your blood.  Thus, a person with low LDL can readily be making plaque if free radicals or toxins are damaging the LDL they do have.

Cholesterol testing will undoubtedly improve in the next decade or so as we learn more and more about the nature of cholesterol quality, both for LDL and HDL.  Some insight into cholesterol quality can be obtained by measuring the size of cholesterol particles.  For example, if VLDL (very low density lipoprotein) particles are larger they have a higher tendency to contribute to disease, whereas if HDL particles are larger in size they tend to be of better quality.

In the new study researchers were able to show that DHA Docosahexaenoic acid Essential omega 3 fatty acid integral to the health of all cell membranes, nerve and brain function. Must be gotten through the diet via cold water oceanic fish or some very limited plant sources or taken as a supplement. intake was linked to healthier cholesterol particles, thus providing novel insights into one way DHA Docosahexaenoic acid Essential omega 3 fatty acid integral to the health of all cell membranes, nerve and brain function. Must be gotten through the diet via cold water oceanic fish or some very limited plant sources or taken as a supplement. helps reduce cardiovascular disease risk.  The intake of this omega-3 essential fatty acid was linked to having fewer VLDL particles, plus the VLDL was smaller in size.  DHA Docosahexaenoic acid Essential omega 3 fatty acid integral to the health of all cell membranes, nerve and brain function. Must be gotten through the diet via cold water oceanic fish or some very limited plant sources or taken as a supplement. contributed to a higher number of HDL (good cholesterol) and the HDL particles were larger. 

You need cholesterol, both LDL and HDL, to carry on many important functions in your body.  This study means that DHA Docosahexaenoic acid Essential omega 3 fatty acid integral to the health of all cell membranes, nerve and brain function. Must be gotten through the diet via cold water oceanic fish or some very limited plant sources or taken as a supplement. contributes to having LDL and HDL that is more metabolically fit and less likely to cause health problems.

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Cellular Cholesterol Helps Prevent Cancer

When it comes to understanding cholesterol most Americans know there is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol; those who are health conscious often have been hoodwinked into believing they should not eat too many foods that contain cholesterol.  This overly simplistic and inaccurate understanding of cholesterol is required by Big Pharma to con millions of Americans into taking toxic statins to lower their “bad” cholesterol.  The latest study discovers a new role for cholesterol within cells: preventing cancer growth. 

No human being can survive without cholesterol.  It is truly the backbone of your survival, both at a cellular level, and hormonal level, and even a reproductive level.  To understand the context and importance of this new cholesterol discovery allow me to quickly review some basic information about cholesterol.

Good cholesterol (HDL) and bad cholesterol (LDL) are very large molecules made up of fragments of cholesterol, fatty acids, and protein. 

I liken LDL to a UPS truck because its primary function is to transport fat soluble nutrition packages through the waterways of your circulation and all around your body.  It can also double as a police car, using the antioxidants it has on board, to help neutralize problems that are larger than they should be.  It is far from bad; it is required to get nutrition to your cells.  Injured LDL cholesterol Low-density lipoprotein. It is a group of lipids and proteins that allow lipids like cholesterol, triglycerides, and fat soluble nutrients (Vitamin A, D, E , K, Q 10, carotenes) to be transported with the water-based bloodstream. is bad, not LDL in and of itself.

HDL is like a tow truck, hauling spent LDL and hopefully any damaged LDL back to your liver to be recycled or reloaded.

Both HDL and LDL are large molecules in comparison to one molecule of cholesterol, which is a sticky rigid substance about the size of a brick in comparison to an LDL UPS truck.  In fact, fragments of cholesterol are typically transported as one of the packages on the LDL UPS truck to cells in case they need some.

Every cell in your body can make its own cholesterol bricks and can accept cholesterol from a UPS truck delivery.  In fact, cells can even post a UPS call tag so that extra cholesterol can be picked up and taken back to the liver.  Cholesterol is used to prop up the structure of the cell membrane, giving a cell a three dimensional structure.  Most of the cholesterol in your body is these little bricks that help make up a healthy cell.  Without them you would be flat as a pancake.

These cholesterol bricks are also the foundation for your adrenal hormones (managing stress) and sex hormones.  They are required to make vitamin D as well as bile.  They are highly concentrated in your nervous system, making healthy brain cells and are part of the structure of neurotransmitter receptors that are vital to normal brain health.

In other words, having the proper amount of cholesterol is absolutely indispensable to your health and survival.

The current cholesterol lowering fad began in the 1980s with the Mr. Fit study (Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial), which followed 350,000 men, age 35-57, for six years and included their total cholesterol as one measurement being followed.  When total cholesterol hit 280, deaths from cardiovascular disease jumped up sharply.  Prior to that number they slowly rose as cholesterol increased. 

However, the point typically ignored by the medical profession and Big Pharma is that the results for all-cause mortality showed a bell shaped curve.  While total cholesterol of 280 or more was bad news as a risk factor, just as many people died whose total cholesterol was less than 140.  These people were not dying of heart disease, rather than infections, cancer, and accidents.  It is rather appalling that the gold standard of statin Class of drugs aka HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, that are used to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme that plays a central role in liver function and cholesterol production. prescribing is to push down the total cholesterol to less than 140.

There are always adverse side effects when statins lower LDL cholesterol Low-density lipoprotein. It is a group of lipids and proteins that allow lipids like cholesterol, triglycerides, and fat soluble nutrients (Vitamin A, D, E , K, Q 10, carotenes) to be transported with the water-based bloodstream. too much.  This actually triggers cholesterol starvation in cells, which is anti-survival.  Cell membranes become weaker and age faster.  Nerve cells don’t transmit as well.  Vitamin D levels go down.  Sex drive is a thing of the past.

The new study is the first to discover and explain how low levels of cellular cholesterol, which clearly do occur when LDL levels are forced abnormally low by drugs, cause a break down in cellular regulation of growth which allows for the unchecked growth of cancer.

The researchers discovered that cholesterol within cells binds to something called cholesterol-binding proteins or ORPs.  ORPs were thought to be involved in transport of cholesterol within the cell.  The new research says otherwise, proving that ORPs regulate cell growth.  If cholesterol does not bind to them, because the level is too low, then ORPs go wild and stimulate excessive cell growth.  Cancer must have active ORPs to survive.

The results of this study predict that excessive lowering of cholesterol with statins helps cause cancer, especially in individuals with other risk factors for cancer.  Big Pharma and the FDA don’t want to think about it and gleeful doctors will keep handing out statins like candy.  When will this insanity ever stop?

There is a huge difference in your health between having good cholesterol numbers because you are healthy and having good numbers because you are drugged. 

If you are looking for ways to naturally manage your cholesterol health please review an earlier in-depth article I wrote on this topic, The Five Key Things You Can Do to Lower LDL Cholesterol Healthfully.

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Sanofi's cholesterol drug reports positive test results

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When HDL Cholesterol Turns from Good to Bad

Researchers jolted the world of simplicity this past week when they announced that HDL Cholesterol High-density lipoprotein that is one of five lipoproteins that enable cholesterol and triglycerides to be transported within the bloodstream to the liver and to the adrenals, ovaries, or testes for the production of steroid hormones. can help cause heart disease instead of prevent it.  The million dollar question now becomes, “How do you know if you have good or bad HDL Cholesterol High-density lipoprotein that is one of five lipoproteins that enable cholesterol and triglycerides to be transported within the bloodstream to the liver and to the adrenals, ovaries, or testes for the production of steroid hormones. ?” 

Getting right to the point, you have more bad HDL Cholesterol High-density lipoprotein that is one of five lipoproteins that enable cholesterol and triglycerides to be transported within the bloodstream to the liver and to the adrenals, ovaries, or testes for the production of steroid hormones. when you are overweight, when your triglyceride level is more than twice your HDL score, and when you are in a state of inflammation, either chronic or acute. 

A few years back it became obvious that your quality of HDL Cholesterol High-density lipoprotein that is one of five lipoproteins that enable cholesterol and triglycerides to be transported within the bloodstream to the liver and to the adrenals, ovaries, or testes for the production of steroid hormones. was of great importance, as I explained in my article, The Amazing New World of HDL Cholesterol.  Briefly, I like to say that LDL cholesterol Low-density lipoprotein. It is a group of lipids and proteins that allow lipids like cholesterol, triglycerides, and fat soluble nutrients (Vitamin A, D, E , K, Q 10, carotenes) to be transported with the water-based bloodstream. is like a UPS truck, loaded with fat-soluble nutrition packages that need to be delivered to cells or can be used to help defend you should the LDL encounter a hostile neighborhood when traveling around your body.  In comparison, HDL Cholesterol High-density lipoprotein that is one of five lipoproteins that enable cholesterol and triglycerides to be transported within the bloodstream to the liver and to the adrenals, ovaries, or testes for the production of steroid hormones. functions as a tow truck for damaged or spent LDL cholesterol Low-density lipoprotein. It is a group of lipids and proteins that allow lipids like cholesterol, triglycerides, and fat soluble nutrients (Vitamin A, D, E , K, Q 10, carotenes) to be transported with the water-based bloodstream. , towing the LDL UPS truck back to your liver so it can be recycled or reloaded with more packages.

You need enough HDL Cholesterol High-density lipoprotein that is one of five lipoproteins that enable cholesterol and triglycerides to be transported within the bloodstream to the liver and to the adrenals, ovaries, or testes for the production of steroid hormones. to carry on its important role, plus that HDL needs to be in high quality condition.  If your tow truck gets a flat tire of its own or if its equipment malfunctions, then its ability to do what it needs to do is compromised.  The new study shows that HDL, in a compromised state of health, actually becomes part of the problem in terms of being associated with increased cardiovascular risk.  At this time it is not clear whether or not poor quality HDL is actually causing heart disease, but it sure isn’t helping the problem.  In fact, a higher amount of poor quality HDL is predictive of many other cardio problems that are locking themselves into place.

The new study focuses on a type of naturally occurring HDL particle called HDL apoC-III, which may or may not be present on any given HDL molecule.  The researchers followed 32,826 women and 8,225 men for 10-14 years, comparing levels of HDL apoC-III to see who developed coronary artery disease.  Those with the highest levels of HDL apoC-III had a 60 percent increased risk of developing coronary artery disease.

I should point out that HDL apoC-III is far from “bad” and is part of the natural balance of how HDL Cholesterol High-density lipoprotein that is one of five lipoproteins that enable cholesterol and triglycerides to be transported within the bloodstream to the liver and to the adrenals, ovaries, or testes for the production of steroid hormones. functions.  It is a signaling molecule that is helping to prevent the break down and clearance of HDL Cholesterol High-density lipoprotein that is one of five lipoproteins that enable cholesterol and triglycerides to be transported within the bloodstream to the liver and to the adrenals, ovaries, or testes for the production of steroid hormones. .  In other words, it is saying you need more tow trucks for some reason.

It is pretty obvious what drives up the amount of HDL apoC-III:  being overweight, having elevated triglycerides, and having an ongoing low-grade or acute inflammation issue.  The more locked in the metabolic problem, such as type 2 diabetes, the more likely that HDL apocC-III is problematically elevated, primarily because the metabolic problem keeps triglycerides elevated.

When you are overweight it is typical that you have extra blobs of fat (triglycerides) heading to your liver.  Your liver has to defend itself from this onslaught of potential injury due to excess calories, thus it makes more LDL cholesterol Low-density lipoprotein. It is a group of lipids and proteins that allow lipids like cholesterol, triglycerides, and fat soluble nutrients (Vitamin A, D, E , K, Q 10, carotenes) to be transported with the water-based bloodstream. , piles the fat blobs onto the UPS truck, and tries to drive them out of the liver – a defense mechanism against your liver being poisoned and damaged by fat.     

Inflammation can be acute, like an infection or injury, or chronic, like an ongoing health problem including being overweight.  Inflammatory signals in your bloodstream create a hostile environment for both LDL and HDL, increasing the risk of damage.  LDL actually uses its fat-soluble antioxidants to help combat the problem, changing from a UPS truck to a police car.  Higher amounts of LDL are damaged under such conditions, meaning that more HDL tow trucks are needed.  Thus, HDL apoC-III is elevated to help prop up the number of HDL particles.

Being overweight is not a normal situation during human evolution.  To the contrary, we are genetically designed to handle food scarcity.  Being overweight drives up triglycerides as well as inflammation, which simultaneously provides two main reasons that elevate HDL apoC-III.  Unfortunately, this forces HDL into a compromised position and renders it inefficient at preventing heart disease.  I personally do not think elevated HDL apoC-III is causing anything harmful. Rather, it is simply a sign that many other issues of metabolism are not in good condition and those issues are the ones that are causing heart disease.

This is why engaging the process of consistent weight loss is vital to cardiovascular health.  Thankfully, you don’t have to be a perfect weight before you reverse the need to have elevated HDL apoC-III – but you do have to stay in positive trend to maintain low risk.  As your triglyceride levels come down and you feel more fit with less wear and tear, rest assured that your HDL apoC-III is in better shape and the quality of your overall HDL is improving.

Having adequate HDL Cholesterol High-density lipoprotein that is one of five lipoproteins that enable cholesterol and triglycerides to be transported within the bloodstream to the liver and to the adrenals, ovaries, or testes for the production of steroid hormones. , especially high quality HDL Cholesterol High-density lipoprotein that is one of five lipoproteins that enable cholesterol and triglycerides to be transported within the bloodstream to the liver and to the adrenals, ovaries, or testes for the production of steroid hormones. , will always be important for optimal cardiovascular health.  Many nutrients are vital for the formation of HDL and the preservation of its quality.  These include higher dietary protein (especially whey protein), DHA Docosahexaenoic acid Essential omega 3 fatty acid integral to the health of all cell membranes, nerve and brain function. Must be gotten through the diet via cold water oceanic fish or some very limited plant sources or taken as a supplement., tocotrienol Specialized form of vitamin E. Powerful antioxidant showing positive benefits for cholesterol, cardiovascular, neurological health and cancer risk reduction. E, vitamin D, pantethine, silymarin, pomegranate, niacin, and likely many others – even chocolate!  Nutrients in and of themselves will not fix a problem.  You must as a priority engage the process of weight loss.  When you combine good nutrients with a consistent weight loss program, then you have optimized your path to health and well-being and boosted your cardiovascular vitality.

 

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'Good' cholesterol doctrine may be flawed: study

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Low 'Bad' Cholesterol Levels May Be Linked to Cancer Risk

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