Obesity is present in all regions of the world in people of all age groups, and is also the main factor associated with young people dying from COVID-19. When it comes to children and adolescents, the evils of this disease can be even worse, such as cardiovascular risk, type 2 diabetes, skeletal malformations and many others.
According to a study carried out in 2016, around 124 million young people aged 5 to 19 around the world are obese, which is not only a concern for the WHO and its related bodies, but also for the medical community, families and health professionals across the planet.
More than an aesthetic problem, obesity in childhood and adolescence can lead to chronic physical health problems, psychological problems and obesity in adulthood.
Today, we're going to talk about cardiovascular risk in children and adolescents caused by obesity. Find out more!
The rise of obesity in children and adolescents
According to studies, the number of obese children and adolescents is 14.1% in Brazil, which also increases the percentage of people at cardiovascular risk.
It's not news that obesity is on the rise around the world, but scholars and health experts are constantly studying this comorbidity to understand the reasons for this considerable increase.
Modern habits of staying indoors more, exercising less, eating ultra-processed products, not eating a balanced diet and eating a high amount of fat are the main culprits behind the rise in childhood obesity.
The professionals go further and believe that the high price of natural and healthy foods also doesn't encourage families to invest in this type of food, since fast foods, for example, are cheaper and come ready to eat.
What is the relationship between obesity and cardiovascular risk?
Obesity is linked to a major cardiovascular risk, since the greater amount of fat circulating in the body can damage the heart, increasing blood pressure and causing destructive impacts on various systems.
Learn about 3 diseases that pose a cardiovascular risk to children and adolescents:
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis doesn't come first for nothing: this problem is one of the most common in obese people of all ages, and it's no different for young people.
This disease is characterized by the accumulation of fatty plaques in the arteries, which in turn hinders the natural passage of blood.
It is usually in childhood that these plaques start to build up, and they present serious symptoms in adulthood, such as clogged veins, which can cause heart attacks.
Metabolic syndrome
The negative changes in metabolism that obesity causes in people's bodies is called metabolic syndrome, which has a prevalence rate of 24% to 51% in North American children and adolescents.
Among the most common metabolic diseases caused by obesity is type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance, high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels.
Coronary heart disease
The large accumulation of fat in the coronary arteries causes this part of the body to become compromised, meaning that coronary disease can be an aggravation of atherosclerosis.
It usually has no symptoms, but can cause heart attacks and severe chest pains.
The importance of regular check-ups to reduce cardiovascular risk
In addition to adopting new lifestyle habits, it is extremely important for patients to undergo regular tests to reduce their cardiovascular risk and monitor this disease.
For this, it's important to have quality medical equipment, such as the Quoretech wireless ECG monitor, a symbol of the latest in cardiac arrhythmia diagnostics. Learn more about this equipment and its effectiveness.
