Prevalence of coronary heart disease risk factors in boys, 8 to 12 years of age

Ninety-five boys, 8 to 12 years of age, were subjected to a comprehensive medical and physiologic evaluation in an effort to identify the extent to which coronary heart disease risk factors derived from an adult population are manifest in a population of young boys.

Abstract

Ninety-five boys, 8 to 12 years of age, were subjected to a comprehensive medical and physiologic evaluation in an effort to identify the extent to which coronary heart disease risk factors derived from an adult population are manifest in a population of young boys. Each subject was examined by a pediatrician, had a resting electrocardiogram and blood pressure determination, a densitometric determination of body composition, an evaluation of pulmonary function, a blood lipid analysis, and finally, a maximal work capacity test to determine the normality of the exercise electrocardiogram and to assess maximal oxygen uptake ( V ˙ O 2 max ⁡ ) . The mean values for this study fell within the normal range of mean values from previous studies, although V ˙ O 2 max was particularly high in this population. The prevalence of hypertension was extremely low. However, 13 per cent of the population were considered obese, 20 and 8 per cent, respectively, demonstrated elevated serum cholesterol (> 200 mg.per 100 ml.) and triglyceride (> 100 mg.per 100 ml.) values, and 34 per cent identified at least one blood relative with a myocardial infarction at or before the age of 60 years. Of the total group, 36 per cent exhibited no risk factors, 46 per cent had one, and 14 per cent had two or more. Ninety-five boys, 8 to 12 years of age, were subjected to a comprehensive medical and physiologic evaluation in an effort to identify the extent to which coronary heart disease risk factors derived from an adult population are manifest in a population of young boys. Each subject was examined by a pediatrician, had a resting electrocardiogram and blood pressure determination, a densitometric determination of body composition, an evaluation of pulmonary function, a blood lipid analysis, and finally, a maximal work capacity test to determine the normality of the exercise electrocardiogram and to assess maximal oxygen uptake ( V ˙ O 2 max ⁡ ) . The mean values for this study fell within the normal range of mean values from previous studies, although V ˙ O 2 max was particularly high in this population. The prevalence of hypertension was extremely low. However, 13 per cent of the population were considered obese, 20 and 8 per cent, respectively, demonstrated elevated serum cholesterol (> 200 mg.per 100 ml.) and triglyceride (> 100 mg.per 100 ml.) values, and 34 per cent identified at least one blood relative with a myocardial infarction at or before the age of 60 years. Of the total group, 36 per cent exhibited no risk factors, 46 per cent had one, and 14 per cent had two or more.