Decline In Cardiovascular Health – Likelihood Of Early Death – Begins In Adolescence

Worsening teen health linked to high blood sugar levels, obesity, poor diet, lack of exercise and smoking is likely to lead to death at an earlier age from cardiovascular disease, a U.S. study has found. The researchers analyzed the health profiles of 5,547 children and adolescents who constituted a representative sample of 33.1 million American youth. The poor health condition of today’s teens is already having an impact on the health profiles of young adults: cardiovascular mortality rates in adults aged 35 to 44, particularly women, are on the rise. The researchers said it was especially alarming that “zero children or adolescents surveyed met the criteria for ideal cardiovascular health," indicating that “ideal cardiovascular health is being lost as early as the teenage years."