Childhood obesity and cardiometabolic health: The impact of exercise
Keywords:
health indicators, risk factors, hemodynamic function, cardiorespiratory fitness, exercise, metabolic syndrome, childrenAbstract
Τhis summary presents part of the research activity carried out over time in the Laboratory Section of Clinical Exercise Physiology and Physiology of Exercise and focuses on the study of: (a) the cardiovascular risk factors in childhood, (b) the effects of obesity on cardiometabolic health of children and adolescents, and (c) the beneficial role of exercise on cardiovascular function and metabolic health in preadolescent children. In our Lab’s studies on children aged 9-14 years old, a significant presence of cardiovascular risk factors was found, including obesity, hypertension, lipid profile disorders, Metabolic Syndrome, elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) values, and low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness. Cardiorespiratory fitness demonstrated a statistically significant negative correlation with metabolic risk score and CRP, however, this correlation was largely explained by the effect of abdominal obesity. Overweight/obese boys had a sevenfold increased risk of developing hypertension compared to normal-weight children, while girls had approximately fourfold increased risk. Also, studying the acute effects of aerobic exercise on the cardiovascular function of overweight/obese preadolescent children, normal-weight children showed a better hemodynamic response compared to overweight/obese children, both at rest and during various stages of treadmill exercise, longer exercise time, and lower subjective fatigue scores. Overall, these findings highlight the need for early identification of children with an unfavorable cardiovascular profile and implementation of programs to improve physical fitness and nutritional behavior from preadolescence.
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