Teens who are overweight today are more likely to develop heart disease.  A new study investigating the health effects of being overweight during adolescence projects alarming increases in the rates of heart disease and premature death by the time today’s teenagers reach young adulthood.

Researchers used a computer-based statistical modeling system known as the Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) Policy Model to estimate the potential impact of an increasingly overweight U.S. adolescent population on future adult health nationwide.

Based on the numbers of overweight adolescents in 2000, the study found that up to 37 percent of males and 44 percent of females will be obese when these teenagers turn 35 years old in 2020. As a consequence of this obesity, these young adults are expected to have more heart attacks, more chronic chest pain and more deaths before they reach age 50.

The model also estimated more than 100,000 extra cases of heart disease by 2035, which is a 16 percent increase over today’s figures, and a rise in obesity-related CHD deaths by as much as 19 percent.

“Today’s adolescents are the young adults of tomorrow - young adults who would ordinarily be working, raising their families, and not worried about heart disease until they are much older. Our study suggests that more of these young adults will have heart disease when they are 35-50 years old, resulting in more hospitalizations, medical procedures, need for chronic medications, missed work days and shortened life expectancy,” said Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, PhD, MD, lead author on the study.

The researchers also investigated whether the negative health impact of obesity could be reversed by treating obesity-related complications like elevated blood pressure and cholesterol levels.  Findings indicate that controlling these factors at a young age will help, but heart disease rates could still rise due to the persistent risk of diabetes associated with obesity.

“One of the major health risks for an obese person is becoming diabetic because diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and many other health complications. Unfortunately, it is currently very difficult to lower the likelihood of getting diabetes once a person is obese,” said Bibbins-Domingo.

Note: Statements and conclusions of study authors that are published here are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect this hospital’s policy or position. This hospital makes no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability.

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