2023-08-24 07:33:43
by Chiara Bidoli
Heart attack and stroke can also depend on how much we moved as children and adolescents. This is demonstrated by a Finnish study which will be presented at the next annual congress of the European Society of Cardiology
The risk of heart attack and stroke as an adult closely correlates with how much we moved during childhood and adolescence. This is demonstrated by a study by the University of Eastern Finland which demonstrated that a sedentary lifestyle as children and teenagers has repercussions on the heart in adulthood, even in subjects with normal weight and blood pressure. The results of the work will be presented at the next annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology (from 25 to 28 August in Amsterdam).
The researchers have found that excessive sedentary lifestyle, which is now widespread in children and adolescents, literally weighs down the heart – explains Perrone Filardi, president of the Italian Society of Cardiology (SIC), full professor of Cardiology and director of the School of Specialization in Diseases of the Cardiovascular Apparatus at the University of Naples Federico II —. Previous studies in adults have shown that a heavier heart as an adult increases the chances of heart attack and stroke. Children and adolescents should therefore move more to protect their future heart health.
Even in Italy too sedentary children
According to Istat data, there are around 2 million children in our country who do not practice sport or physical activity. The latest data from OKkio alla Salute, the surveillance system on overweight, obesity and lifestyles of primary school children of the Istituto Superiore di Sanit, show that in our country almost 1 in 3 overweight or obese children, who on 20 .3% did not do any physical activity the day before the survey and that 44.5% of children spend more than 2 hours a day in front of TV/Tablet/Mobile phone.
Lifestyles and nutrition
The Finnish study is very interesting and enriches a consolidated baggage of knowledge on the importance of lifestyle for the well-being of each individual – comments Alberto Villani, head of General Pediatrics and director of the Istituto per la Salute del Bambino Ges in Rome -. Epigenetics, the science that has demonstrated how behaviors and the environment are able to modulate the genetic heritage, has highlighted the importance of investing in developmental age to improve the quality and length of life. The pillars of well-being are represented by: regular motor activity (playful or sporting), which also simply means walking, going up and down stairs, running in a meadow, playing games in the open air. To this healthy habit must be added a correct and varied diet (giving preference to the Mediterranean diet), adequate sleep in terms of duration and quality and bowel regularity. Establishing good habits from an early age, respecting a few simple rules, allow you to live longer and in good health.
Physical exercise, in addition to improving the health conditions of the child (and future adult), also contributes to psychological well-being and academic performance. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children get an average of 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity, such as brisk walking, dancing and cycling to school, and at least three hours of sport a week intense as running, football, swimming also associated with exercises to strengthen muscles and bones.
The results
The study is part of the Children of the 90s project, also known as the University of Bristol’s Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), which analyzes environmental and genetic factors that influence the health and development of generations of people over the years. In the case of the Finnish study, 766 children aged 11 (55% girls, 45% boys) who were made to wear a smartwatch to track their activities were examined. The same activity, to the same children (in the meantime become teenagers and adults), was repeated at 15 and 24 years of age and the data emerged, together with the results of some tests (such as echocardiography) and other types of information (including sex, fat body weight, smoking, physical activity, socioeconomic status) allowed us to analyze the association between sedentary time and heart health between 11 and 24 years.
What emerged was that at age 11, children were sedentary for an average of 362 minutes a day, rising to 474 minutes in adolescence (15 years) and 531 minutes a day in young adulthood (24 years). In the study, the children were sedentary for more than six hours a day and this number increased by almost three hours a day until they reached adulthood – comment Perrone Filardi and Ciro Indolfi, past presidents of the SIC -. Research findings indicate that the accumulation of inactive time correlates with heart damage regardless of body weight and blood pressure. Parents should therefore encourage children and adolescents to move more and limit the time spent on social media and video games. Because the way you spend your days as a child can have a decisive influence on your future heart health.
August 24, 2023 (change August 24, 2023 | 07:33)
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