Irish teenagers 'showing early signs of heart disease'

Teenagers as young as 15 and 16 are showing early signs of heart disease, new reaserch shows.

The research published today shows that blood vessels in boys with low levels of fitness are beginning to thicken, especially if they are overweight or have high cholesterol.

The signs are more likely in those who are overweight, take little or no exercise, have a poor diet and high cholesterol.

The research was carried out among transition year students as part of the Schools Fitness Challenge. The challenge measures aerobic fitness and highlights the importance of cardiovascular fitness to current and future health.

Professor Niall Moyna of the Centre for Preventive Medicine in Dublin City University said bad habits were starting to have an effect at a younger age.

"Kids are being exposed to risk factors earlier and earlier," he said. "We already see Type 2 diabetes much earlier than in previous generations, and the same is going to occur now (with heart disease).

"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."

Referring to the study, he said the children with a low fitness level also had an average body fat of 23%, compared to only 9% and 11% in the highly fit group and the moderately fit group.

"We also found they had significantly higher plaque in the arteries that supply the neck and that the vessels in the arm dilated 40% less than in the other two groups."