ADOLESCENT OVERWEIGHT IS ASSOCIATED WITH ADULT OVERWEIGHT AND RELATEDMULTIPLE CARDIOVASCULAR RISK-FACTORS - THE BOGALUSA HEART-STUDY

Overweight in adolescence is considered an important predictor of long -term morbidity and mortality. The impact of adolescent overweight on adult overweight and related multiple cardiovascular risk factors was examined in a biracial (black-white) cohort (N = 783) who participated in two cross-sectional surveys as adolescents aged 13 to 17 years and as young adults aged 27 to 31 years. The cohort was categorized as ad olescent-onset adult overweight (N = 110) or lean (N = 81) according t o age-, race, and sex-specific body mass index (BMI) greater than the 75th percentile or between the 25th and 50th percentiles on both surve ys. The risk for overweight adolescents to remain overweight as young adults ranged from 52% in black males to 62% in black females. As youn g adults, the overweight cohort showed adverse levels of body fatness measures, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, lipoprotein cholester ol, insulin, and glucose as compared with the lean cohort (P < .01 to P < .0001). The prevalence of clinically recognized hypertension and d yslipidemia increased 8.5-fold and 3.1- to 8.3 fold, respectively, in the overweight cohort versus the lean cohort (P < .05 to P < .0001). T he prevalence of parental history of diabetes mellitus and hypertensio n increased 2.4-fold (P < .01) and 1.3-fold (P < .05), respectively, i n the overweight cohort. Clustering of adverse values (> 75th percenti le) for the total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) choles terol ratio, insulin level, and systolic blood pressure occurred only among the overweight cohort (P < .0001). Thus, excess weight in adoles cence persists into young adulthood, and has a strong adverse impact o n multiple cardiovascular risk factors, requiring primary prevention e arly in life. (C) 1996 by W.B. Saunders Company