Background: The American Heart Association, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually reports the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular risk factors, including core health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, diet, and weight) and health factors (cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose control) that contribute to cardiovascular health. The Statistical Update presents the latest data on a range of major clinical heart and circulatory disease conditions (including stroke, congenital heart disease, rhythm disorders, subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, heart failure, valvular disease, venous disease, and peripheral artery disease) and the associated outcomes (including quality of care, procedures, and economic costs). Methods: The American Heart Association, through its Epidemiology and Prevention Statistics Committee, continuously monitors and evaluates sources of data on heart disease and stroke in the United States to provide the most current information available in the annual Statistical Update with review of published literature through the year before writing. The 2023 Statistical Update is the product of a full year’s worth of effort in 2022 by dedicated volunteer clinicians and scientists, committed government professionals, and American Heart Association staff members. The American Heart Association strives to further understand and help heal health problems inflicted by structural racism, a public health crisis that can significantly damage physical and mental health and perpetuate disparities in access to health care, education, income, housing, and several other factors vital to healthy lives. This year’s edition includes additional COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) publications, as well as data on the monitoring and benefits of cardiovascular health in the population, with an enhanced focus on health equity across several key domains. Results: Each of the chapters in the Statistical Update focuses on a different topic related to heart disease and stroke statistics. Conclusions: The Statistical Update represents a critical resource for the lay public, policymakers, media professionals, clinicians, health care administrators, researchers, health advocates, and others seeking the best available data on these factors and conditions. 

Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2023 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association

OBJECTIVES Prevalence of child and adolescents' overweight and obesity in low- and middle-income countries has increased dramatically. Simultaneously, the incidence of pre-hypertension/hypertension is also increasing in children, which, in turn, predisposes these children to the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in later life. The present study assessed cardiometabolic risk factors and early indicators of vascular dysfunction in adolescents from a low socio-economic rural area in South Africa. DESIGN Cross-sectional cohort study. SETTING The study was conducted in public schools in Mthatha, OR Tambo district municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. PARTICIPANTS A total of 244 adolescents (188 females) of African ancestry aged 13-16 years were enrolled. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES Anthropometric and haemodynamic measures and pulse wave velocity (PWV) were related to overweight/obesity and hypertension. Blood markers of cardiometabolic syndrome were assessed as well as vascular function (via PWV). RESULTS One-third (33.0%) of the adolescents exceeded the age and sex-specific body mass index percentiles for overweight (≥85th) or obesity (>95th) with a prevalence of 61.1% pre-hypertensives in this group. Overweight/obesity and hypertension were associated with higher triglycerides (lean:overweight: 0.79 4.69 mmol/L, p<0.05). PWV was elevated in 25.9% of the children and significantly correlated with asymmetric dimethylarginine and systolic blood pressure (p<0.001). CONCLUSION Overweight/obesity and hypertension show a high prevalence in rural South African youth. Almost half of the studied adolescents are at risk for developing CVD. The high association between cardiometabolic risk factors and PWV further suggests that hypertension in adolescents may promote the progression of CVD in adulthood. Early detection of those at risk and the implementation of preventive strategies in underprivileged young people is urgently needed to stop the progression of vascular damage and manifestation of CVD in rural African children.

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/bmjopen/11/3/e042955.full.pdf

Cardiometabolic risk factors and early indicators of vascular dysfunction: a cross-sectional cohort study in South African adolescents

Pediatric obesity is a multifaceted disease that can impact physical and mental health It is a complex condition that interweaves biological, developmental, environmental, behavioral, and genetic factors In most cases lifestyle and behavioral modification as well as medical treatment led to poor short-term weight reduction and long-term failure Thus, bariatric surgery should be considered in adolescents with moderate to severe obesity who have previously participated in lifestyle interventions with unsuccessful outcomes In particular, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is considered the most commonly performed bariatric surgery worldwide The procedure is safe and feasible The efficacy of this weight loss surgical procedure has been demonstrated in pediatric age Nevertheless, there are barriers at the patient, provider, and health system levels, to be removed First and foremost, more efforts must be made to prevent decline in nutritional status that is frequent after bariatric surgery, and to avoid inadequate weight loss and weight regain, ensuring successful long-term treatment and allowing healthy growth In this narrative review, we considered the rationale behind surgical treatment options, outcomes, and clinical indications in adolescents with severe obesity, focusing on LSG, nutritional management, and resolution of metabolic comorbidities

https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/8/6/453/pdf

Bariatric Surgery in Adolescents: To Do or Not to Do?

Childhood trauma (CT) is well established as a potent risk factor for the development of mental disorders. However, the potential of adverse early experiences to exert chronic and profound effects on physical health, including aberrant metabolic phenotypes, has only been more recently explored. Among these consequences is metabolic syndrome (MetS), which is characterised by at least three of five related cardiometabolic traits: hypertension, insulin resistance/hyperglycaemia, raised triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein and central obesity. The deleterious effects of CT on health outcomes may be partially attributable to dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which coordinates the response to stress, and the consequent fostering of a pro-inflammatory environment. Epigenetic tags, such as DNA methylation, which are sensitive to environmental influences provide a means whereby the effects of CT can be biologically embedded and persist into adulthood to affect health and well-being. The methylome regulates the transcription of genes involved in the stress response, metabolism and inflammation. This narrative review examines the evidence for DNA methylation in CT and MetS in order to identify shared neuroendocrine and immune correlates that may mediate the increased risk of MetS following CT exposure. Our review specifically highlights differential methylation of FKBP5, the gene that encodes FK506-binding protein 51 and has pleiotropic effects on stress responding, inflammation and energy metabolism, as a central candidate to understand the molecular aetiology underlying CT-associated MetS risk.

Childhood trauma, the stress response and metabolic syndrome: a focus on DNA methylation.

Introduction The Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) describes the clustering of cardio-metabolic risk factors-including abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, elevated blood pressure, high levels of triglycerides, and low levels of high-density lipoproteins-that increase the risk for developing cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, a generally accepted definition of MetS in pediatric patients is still lacking. Objectives The aim was to summarize current prevalence data of childhood MetS as well as to discuss the continuing disagreement between different pediatric definitions and the clinical importance of such diagnosis. Methodology A systematic literature search on the prevalence of pediatric MetS was conducted. Articles that were published during the past 5 years (2014-2019), using at least one of four predetermined classifications (International Diabetes Federation, Cook et al., Ford et al., and de Ferranti et al.), were included. Results The search resulted in 1167 articles, of which 31 publications met all inclusion criteria. Discussion The prevalence of MetS ranged between 0.3 and 26.4%, whereby the rising number of children and adolescents with MetS partly depended on the definition used. The IDF definition generally provided the lowest prevalences (0.3-9.5%), whereas the classification of de Ferranti et al. yielded the highest (4.0-26.4%). In order to develop a more valid definition, further research on long-term consequences of childhood risk factors such as abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia is needed. There is also a temptation to suggest one valid, globally accepted definition of metabolic syndrome for pediatric populations but we believe that it is more appropriate to suggest definitions of MetS that are specific to males vs. females, as well as being specific to race/ethnicity or geographic region. Finally, while this notion of definitions of MetS specific to certain subgroups is important, it still needs to be tested in future research.

/pdf/the-prevalence-of-pediatric-metabolic-syndrome-a-critical-43uq9btxtl.pdf

Carolin Reisinger

Papers

The prevalence of pediatric metabolic syndrome-a critical look on the discrepancies between definitions and its clinical importance.