BEACON TRANSCRIPT – A new study reveals that even children are at risk of developing heart issues. As most of us believe that this age group cannot develop a heart-related condition, it would seem that the new evidence says otherwise. Cardiovascular diseases are on the rise among children and the main culprits are obesity, lack of physical exercise and high sugar intake.

Well, it’s of little wonder that obesity is, in fact, the disease of the century. Many of us choose to ignore the signs of it or consoling ourselves with the thought that it either runs in the family or that our thyroid gland is backfiring. Whatever the reasons, it would seem that one of the most serious condition associated with obesity (heart disease) has begun to surface at younger and younger ages.

According to another study concerning heart disease, it would seem that this condition has been detected even in 3-year olds. Mind you that this is an extreme case indeed, but obesity among older children is not.

Unfortunately, there are many children out there who have high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Moreover, most of them even have a family history of heart disease. As usual, the main culprit for their condition is a lack of physical exercises associated with a higher sugar intake.

It’s ok to indulge once in a while in sugary treats if you exercise and eat healthy meals. Unfortunately, this is not the case of many children from the US, who choose sugary treats over a well-balanced meal.

But the overall situation isn’t quite as tragic as it would seem because many health centers have begun to identify those children who are overweight and at risk of developing a heart condition.

In light of this development, the American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its guidelines regarding the testing for high cholesterol. Moreover, the prestigious institutions recommend that all children with ages between 9 and 11 should get tested for high cholesterol.

Cardiovascular diseases are on the rise among children, and it would seem that the most common factors involved are a lack of physical activity, high sugar intake and obesity.

Furthermore, another study performed by the Emory University proved that even teenagers are at risk of developing a heart condition in later life. By studying the dietary habits of over 2000 teenage patients, the medical researchers have discovered that the daily average sugar intake of a teenager was 30 teaspoons of sugar (20 percent more than the daily recommended dose of sugar).

Moreover, their blood tests performed on the candidates revealed that the teens were more inclined to have increased levels of LDL cholesterol ad triglycerides.

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