Irish children as young as 15 are exhibiting the early signs of heart disease. According to new research published today, blood vessels in boys with low fitness levels are beginning to thicken, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes.
The study of Transition Year students, carried out as part of the Aviva Health Schools Fitness Challenge, also showed that children with lower fitness levels also had significantly higher plaque in the arteries that supply the neck, while the blood vessels in the arm dilated 40% less than in the fitter groups.
The challenge was overseen by exercise physiologist Dr. Sarah Kelly and the creator of the Schools’ Fitness Challenge exercise physiologist, Professor Niall Moyna from the Centre for Preventive Medicine, DCU.
Commenting on the findings, Professor Moyna said children are being exposed to risk factors earlier and earlier: “We already see Type 2 diabetes much earlier than in previous generations, and the same is going to occur now (with heart disease).” he said. “If you’ve been inactive and had a poor diet in your pre-pubescent years and teenage years, it’s not surprising that you have evidence of heart disease.”
A whopping 90% of Irish children are deemed ‘insufficiently active’, meaning they spend an unhealthy amount of time doing sedentary activities.
