BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhuanet) -- US scientists have found that extremely obese youngsters can have heart abnormalities that put them at serious risk of heart attacks and chest pains.
The researchers studied 340 patients at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital who ranged in age from 5 to 20, reported Thursday's CRI online.
They found that obese children already had changes in the heart's left ventricle, the pumping chamber of the heart.
They said increased thickness of the heart is a risk factor for ischemic heart disease.
The thicker a patient's heart, the more likely the patient is to potentially have issues with reduced blood flow, leading to a heart attack.