Heart Attack Risk Looms Large for Obese Kids

A study of 343 patients with an average age of 12 found that obese children have an increased thickness of the heart, which is an important risk factor for heart attack. Cardiologist Tom Kimball, MD, of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center said, "The thicker a patient's heart, the more likely the patient is to potentially have issues with reduced blood flow, leading to a heart attack." Researchers concluded that the heavier the child, the higher their risk. Even young children were already showing changes in the left ventricle of their hearts, which is the pumping chamber.