Latest research shows that heart attacks don't just strike overweight adults. Overweight children are also at risk.
According to a study from The Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in Ohio, being overweight causes an increase in the wall thickness of the left ventricle, which is responsible for pumping blood.
This change in heart size increases the risk of having a heart attack, no matter the age of the individual.
Researchers say 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. Adverse geometric changes are more prevalent and severe in young patients with extreme obesity.
During the study, researchers conducted ultrasounds of more than 340 obese patients, ages 5 to 23.It was found that greater the body mass index], the greater the incidence and severity of left ventricular mass or thickness.