News

Some overweight children are already showing early signs of heart disease, including a buildup of fatty deposits in their arteries that could set the stage for a heart attack or stroke later in life, according to a new study.

"It is very crucial to identify children who are at risk and start lifestyle modification early on . . . , meaning regular exercise programs and healthy diets," said Dr. Sanaz Piran, who led the study at McMaster University in Hamilton.

The researchers reviewed 26 previous studies from the United States, the Netherlands, Australia, Finland, Norway and Italy that used ultrasound and other methods to measure blood flow and the thickness of artery walls in 3,630 children and teens 5 to 18.

Some of the children already had well-recognized risk factors for heart disease: They were obese, had higher blood pressure, or suffered from diabetes. A few of them were born with a condition known as hypercholesterolemia, which makes them prone to high levels of bad cholesterol.

Over all, the studies showed that the high-risk children had an average of 8.7 per cent more buildup of fatty deposits in their arteries than other children. They also had a 37-per-cent decrease in blood flow in certain critical arteries.

"Obesity is a rising risk factor in children and can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure and abnormal lipids [fats] in the bloodstream," noted Eva Lonn, study co-author.

Dr. Piran, who presented the findings at a recent conference of the American Heart Association, urged the medical profession and families to take steps now to prevent heart disease in the young.

"The very things we recommend to adults [such as a healthy diet and exercise] should be recommended to parents for their children."

Magnet warning

Health Canada has issued an alert, warning parents about the hazards that small magnets can pose to children. Several types of toys containing magnets have recently been pulled from North American stores, following the death of a 20-month-old in the United States.

"If a child swallows more than one magnet over a short period of time, the magnets can attract one another while travelling through the intestines," Health Canada said in a release. "When this happens, the magnets can slowly tear through the intestinal walls. The results can be very serious and even fatal."

Back trouble

For decades, experts have argued about the best treatment for a ruptured disc in the lower back -- surgery or letting the body heal itself. Now, a major U.S. study has provided the answer: Both seem to be equally effective in the long run, although surgery produces quicker results.

A herniated, or ruptured, disc is a common and painful problem. Normally, doughnut-shaped discs act as shock absorbers between the bones (vertebrae) of the spine. But if one of the discs becomes unhealthy or ruptures, it can bulge out and press on the nerves running through the spine. This pressure can produce shooting pains down the leg, causing a condition known as sciatica.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, involved 1,200 patients at 13 U.S. hospitals. The patients either underwent surgery to fix the bulging disc or received physical therapy to help the body heal.

Patients who had surgery reported almost immediate relief. But after two years, about 70 per cent of the patients in both groups said they had a major improvement in their symptoms.

"These findings suggest that in most cases there is no clear reason to advocate strongly for surgery apart from patient preference," Dr. Eugene Carragee of Stanford University wrote in an editorial that accompanied the study.

ptaylor@globeandmail.com