Atherosclerosis in children: obese children are most at risk

As shown by autopsies performed on young accident victims, the first atherosclerotic plaques can build up in the vessels already at the age of two and atherosclerosis can develop in children under 10.

Drugs as a last resort

For this reason, cholesterol levels in children are being tested more and more often in many countries. Elżbieta Puacz, MD, President of the National Chamber of Laboratory Diagnosticians (KIDL), claims that this is still very rarely the case in Poland, which is a pity, as detecting elevated cholesterol levels allows to take quicker actions preventing the development of atherosclerosis.

Parents should not be afraid that their children will be administered cholesterol-lowering drugs soon after diagnosis, although this is a common procedure for adults. In pharmacological treatment of children they are used only as a last resort.

Prof. Bożena Werner, Head of the Clinical Department of Cardiology and Paediatrics of the Children's Hospital of the Medical University of Warsaw, ensures that increasing physical activity and changing eating habits will suffice for most children.

According to a report published in 2010 by the experts of the Committee on Public Health of the Polish Academy of Sciences under the guidance of Prof. Barbara Woynarowska, things do not look too good. As much as 80 percent of students who graduate from secondary schools take little exercise and do not eat fruit or vegetables every day.

The Ministry of Sport warns that only one in ten 14-year-olds takes up any physical activity (runs, rides a bike or plays football).

The three contemporary Horsemen of the Apocalypse: atherosclerosis, diabetes and hypertension

Obese children are most at risk of atherosclerosis, since (apart from the early stage of atherosclerosis) they also develop insulin resistance, which can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes. Until recently, this type was called adult-onset diabetes, but that term is no longer applicable, as diabetes can also occur in children and adolescents and has nothing in common with juvenile diabetes (type 1).

Therefore, according to the experts, saturated fats, sugars and salt should be avoided from the age of 3. The intake of unsaturated fats of vegetable origin, vegetables, fruit, leguminous plants and whole grain products, which are beneficial for the health, should also be increased. Recommendations for children are the same as for adults.

If children and adolescents do not adhere to these guidelines in early adulthood, they will be suffering from diabetes and cardiovascular diseases even before the age of 30.

Individuals with early-manifested hypertension, which drives the development of atherosclerosis, will be especially at risk.

Prophylaxis in kindergartens

According to a report published by Hypertension, in the USA, the risks of elevated blood pressure in children and adolescents has increased by 27 percent over the last 13 years. This situation is fostered by children’s excessive weight (occurring increasingly often) and excessive salt intake.

In Poland, some children are too plump from an early age. Almost 15 percent of 12- to 36-months-old children are overweight. Neither will they get rid of excessive weight themselves nor will they not “grow out of" being overweight. If their diet and lifestyle do not change, they will remain obese and will have serious health problems.