- Genetic Anomalies Linked to Breast Cancer in African American Families
- FDA Approves New Drug for Patients with Advanced Breast Cancer
- Women with Atypical Hyperplasia Have a Higher Risk of Breast Cancer
- Mastectomy Patients Most Satisfied with Breast Reconstruction Using Their Own Tissues
- Follow Up for Breast Cancer Patients
- Helping Breast Cancer Patients Adhere to Hormone Therapy
- Opportunities Identified that Reduce Breast Cancer Screening Patient Burden
- Certain Birth Control Pills May Increase Cancer Risk
- Writing May Help Cancer Survivors
- New Method May Allow Breast Cancer Drug to Be Given Through Skin
Childhood Obesity Associated With Stiff Arteries
“When children at such a young age start getting diseases only adults used to get, it’s like the sky is falling,” said Dr. Catherine L. Davis, principal investigator on the study.
Using a non-invasive measure of pulse wave velocity, Davis discovered that children with a greater body mass index, more body fat and less endurance had stiffer central arteries compared to leaner and fitter children. Identifying these children early could hasten preventive measures, she noted.
Her most recent study involves overweight or obese 8-11-year-old children, half of whom participate in aerobic exercises such as jumping rope and shooting hoops weekdays after school while the other half participate in sedentary activities, including board games and crafts.
Among a similar cohort of children, Davis also found that regular exercise decreases metabolic risks linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The new study will examine the effects of exercise on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and atherosclerosis.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which affects about 40 percent of obese children, initially is often symptomless. But its long-term risk of inflammation and scarring, which can cause liver damage and failure, also is related to hardening of the arteries.
“It’s essentially another aspect of the metabolic imbalance these children are experiencing when they’re overweight and inactive and is a signal they’re at very high risk for diabetes,” Davis said.
She already found that exercise reduces inflammation, visceral fat (a type of fat situated between the organs), body mass index and insulin levels. Children who exercised showed improvement on virtually all of those measures after just 20 to 40 minutes of daily aerobic exercise for 12 weeks. Davis hopes her research will encourage programs to keep children active and hold lifestyle-related diseases at bay.
1. Catherine L. Davis, et al. Medical College of Georgia