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What the Health Experts are Saying about Kids and Heart Disease

What the Health Experts Are Saying About Kids and Heart Disease

Here is what the country’s leading experts on heart disease are saying about kids and heart disease. Simply put, they all believe:

The American Dietetic Association’s (ADA) dietary guidance for healthy children aged 2 to 11 notes that “children (ages 2 to 11 years) should achieve optimal physical and cognitive development, attain a healthy weight, enjoy food, and reduce the risk of chronic disease through appropriate eating habits and participation in regular physical activity.” In addition, ADA notes, “critical nutrition concerns about US children include excessive intakes of dietary fat, especially saturated fats… High intakes of saturated fat have been associated with increased plasma total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in childhood and can ultimately increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.” ADA supports the key recommendations of the Institute of Medicine’s Food and Nutrition Board that for children 2 years and older, “consumption of saturated fat, trans fatty acids and cholesterol should be as low as possible while maintaining a nutritionally adequate diet.” More on ADA’s dietary guidance for healthy children aged 2 to 11.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) notes "everyone older than age 2 should care about cholesterol to reduce the risk of developing heart disease as an adult. Children as well as adults can improve the health of their hearts by following a low-saturated-fat and low-cholesterol diet, avoiding obesity, and being physically active." Click here for more information on the NHLBI’s dietary recommendations for children.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that children TWO years and older be encouraged to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily as well as a wide variety of other foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol for a healthy heart. Specifically, the AHA recommends that anyone over the age of two obtain no more than 10 percent of total calories from saturated fat and trans fat combined, no more than 30 percent of calories from total fat and less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol a day. More on AHA’s position statement on children and cholesterol.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Nutrition recognizes that diet changes implemented in childhood which lower total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol will improve blood cholesterol levels and if followed into adulthood will reduce fatty buildup in the arteries, cutting the risk of heart disease. They recommend that children aged 2 to 18 eat less than 10% of their calories from saturated fat, no more than 30% of their total calories from total fat and no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol each day. More on AAP’s policy on Cholesterol in Children.

The 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report is based on the latest scientific evidence on diet and nutrition. The report states “childhood represents a sensitive time for developing healthful eating patterns. Studies have documented that patterns of food and nutrient intake track from childhood into later years, including adulthood.” The committee notes in their report that they took a close look at dietary fats because of their link to heart health. Based on the overwhelming science, the committee made the recommendation that for children aged 2 to 3 years old, a total fat of 30 to 35 percent of calories is recommended while for children aged 4 to 18, a total fat intake of 20 to 35 percent of calories is recommended. More on the 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report.

“Foods that are mainly oil include mayonnaise, certain salad dressings, and soft (tub or squeeze) margarine with no trans fats. Check the Nutrition Facts label to find margarines with 0 grams of trans fat. Amounts of trans fat will be required on labels as of 2006. Many products already provide this information.

Most oils are high in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, and low in saturated fats. Oils from plant sources (vegetable and nut oils) do not contain any cholesterol. In fact, no foods from plants sources contain cholesterol.” Visit MyPyramid.gov for more information.

Consumption of polyunsaturated fats such as soft, trans fat-free soft margarines can play a key role in reducing the risk for coronary heart disease, according to a new study in the British Medical Journal. In this research, a significant reduction in heart disease risk was found to be more closely associated with consumption of polyunsaturated fats (such as those made from rapeseed and soybean oil) than it was with increased fruit intake or a decrease in smoking.

The research paper, co-authored by Walter Willett, M.D., Chair of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, states, “The experience of Poland [the focus of this study] is consistent with epidemiological and clinical evidence indicating that mortality due to coronary heart disease can be reduced by partly replacing dietary saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats while maintaining a low intake of trans fatty acids.” T he researchers also note, “Increased intakes of polyunsaturated fat also probably explain most of the major declines in coronary mortality in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia over several decades.”

This study confirms the findings of numerous research studies which suggest that making simple changes in the diet - such as choosing a soft, trans fat-free margarine in place of butter - can make a difference in lowering cholesterol levels and an even bigger difference in one’s risk of heart disease.

Zatonski, W, Willett, W. Changes in dietary fat and declining coronary heart disease in Poland: population based study. British Medical Journal. July 23, 2005. 331:187-188.

Follow-up study confirms children who learn heart healthy eating habits lower heart disease risk

A study in the August 2007 issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association confirms when young children learn about heart-healthy eating habits, it can strongly influence their heart disease risk later in life.

This study is a follow-up to one published in 2005 (see below) which has landmark implications on how children should be taught to eat. In this latest study, a child’s fat intake, primarily reduction in intake of saturated fat, was found to be one of the greatest influencing factors on heart disease risk, according to the research.

Key dietary changes made by families who received regular counseling included: 1) using soft margarine and liquid oils instead of butter to maintain adequate fat intake while lowering consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol, and 2) appropriate adjustments to the type of milk consumed by the children.

The researchers concluded that teaching children about eating a low-saturated-fat, low-cholesterol diet can help reduce saturated fat intake and subsequently, total and bad levels of blood cholesterol levels.

Eating a low saturated fat diet starting in infancy can result in less atherosclerosis and may lower future risk of cardiovascular disease, says a study in the December 5 Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. The study followed 1,062 children over an 11-year period, starting in infancy. The families were asked to follow either a low saturated fat diet or an unrestricted diet. The researchers found that children in the low saturated fat diet group, particularly the boys, who consumed 2 percent to 3 percent fewer calories from saturated fat and 0.5 percent to 1.0 percent more calories from polyunsaturated fats, had cholesterol levels 5-8 percent lower than the other children. Out of the same group, boys on the low saturated fat diet showed better functioning of the inner lining of their blood vessels. Previous reports showed that beginning a low saturated fat diet in infancy with individualized diet and lifestyle counseling could lower cholesterol in children without harming their growth or neurological development.

Tapani Rönnemaa, M.D., Ph.D. et al. Endothelial Function in Healthy 11-Year-Old Children After Dietary Intervention With Onset in Infancy. The Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project for Children (STRIP). Circulation 2005, doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.105.583195

From the American Heart Association: Top Ten Ways to Help Children Develop Healthy Habits

Each year, the government's National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) designates "September as National Cholesterol Education Month." This year, they are offering consumers a new easy to read, downloadable booklet that discusses the various aspects of a heart-healthy lifestyle. “Lifestyle is crucial for lowering cholesterol but it's not enough to tell people it's important—you have to help them do it, " says the NHLBI's James Cleeman, M.D., coordinator of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP).

The 80-page easy-to-read booklet is based on the NCEP's guidelines on cholesterol management. These guidelines emphasize the importance of therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC)—intensive use of heart-healthy eating, physical activity, and weight control—for cholesterol management. TLC is the cornerstone of treatment, according to Cleeman, even if someone also has to take a cholesterol-lowering medication.

To help reduce saturated fat, trans fat, and dietary cholesterol, the guide offers tips on choosing and preparing low fat meals, selecting healthy snacks, reading nutrition labels, and dining out as well as includes sample menus for different types of cuisine (traditional American, Southern, Mexican-American, and Asian).

For an online version of the new booklet, go to: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/chol/chol_tlc.htm

February is American Heart Month

Almost twice as many women die from heart disease than from all forms of cancer combined. In honor of February’s Heart Health Month, Never2Early.org and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Women’s Health (OWH) are encouraging women to get the facts about heart disease, the leading killer of women in America.

To help women become better equipped to make changes to improve their health and quality of life, we are encouraging you to make use of the following resources. OWH has designed a free, personalized Web site (www.womenshealth.gov/ForYourHeart). For Your Heart is a simple, interactive Web site that provides women with personalized information and tips on preventing heart disease.

If a woman is diagnosed with heart disease, straight-forward information about treatment options is critical for good decision making. HeartHealthyWomen.org, also supported by OWH, provides the most up-to-date information on the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease in women. The site, which features separate educational sections for women with heart disease and their health care providers, answers questions like “How is my risk of heart disease measured?” and “What is angioplasty?” It also provides health care providers with information, such as heart health risk factors for women based on age and menopause.

The Never2Early.org campaign was initiated to help families with young children understand that risk factors for heart disease can start developing early in life. The primary focus of the campaign is on a heart-healthy diet and lifestyle starting at age two.