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Children show signs of artery harm
The Times Colonist (Victoria) (Fri 01 Dec 2006 Source: New York Times Service) writes about a new study which finds that signs of artery thickening can be seen in some young children and urges doctors to take preventive action. The study, presented at a recent conference of the American Heart Association, reviewed the findings of 26 earlier studies and found that some children had a subclinical form of atherosclerosis, as the condition is known. The children who exhibited the changes were already at higher risk for heart disease later in life. They were obese, had high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol. The studies used a variety of non-invasive measures to assess thickening and stiffening of the arteries and blood flow. The findings, the researchers said, reinforce the need for doctors to treat risk factors in children with the same attention they give to adults. Children in families with a history of high cholesterol, for example, should have their cholesterol checked, they said.
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