HHS HealthBeat (January 15, 2008)

Teens, grownups, and heart trouble

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

The epidemic of obesity among teens literally bodes ill for when they become adults. Researchers projected the heart trouble that can result if today’s  teens don’t avoid excessive weight gain.

Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo of the University of California, San Francisco says heart disease overall could increase by 5 percent to 16 percent by the year 2035.  

Bibbins-Domingo says what could happen when today’s teens are 35 to 50 is worrisome. Consider that heart attacks have tended to occur more in older people.

``We may be in the future seeing a shift in patterns of heart disease to becoming more evident in a young adult population.’’ (7 seconds)

The study in the New England Journal of Medicine was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: January, 18 2008