To Your Health
April, 2022 (Vol. 16, Issue 04) |
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Prevention Starts Early
By Editorial Staff
We all take our health for granted to some extent - until something goes wrong. A health scare, real or imagined, can change your perspective on how fragile we all are in a heartbeat. As we get older, we understand and appreciate the value of health; when we're younger - especially during childhood, we tend to think we'll "live forever" without a care in the world.
Kids might take their health for granted, but parents should certainly be paying attention, because the health factors that increase heart disease risk actually start during childhood, according to research. Published in The New England Journal of Medicine , the study found five risk factors in childhood that increase the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke in adulthood (as young as age 40):
- Body mass index
- Blood pressure
- Cholesterol
- Triglycerides
- Smoking
The good news is that all these risk factors are modifiable ... although it won't be easy, since many of the lifestyle behaviors that cause them are so pervasive in our society. Were talking about poor diet, lack of exercise, etc. Smoking is another big one, since while cigarette smoking has declined, vaping / e-cigarette use has replaced it, particularly among the youth population.
The other hurdle to overcome: The study found that in combination, the risk for adult heart issues increased even more. That means children with more than one of the above risk factors were at even greater risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke in adulthood. The lesson: Teach your children healthy habits early and often; and show them (for example, with this article) what can happen if they take their health for granted.
