Larger kid waist size = higher heart risk

DENVER, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- Children with larger waists have significantly higher pulse pressure, which is an indicator of increased heart-related disorders risk, U.S. researchers say.

Lead author Dr. Gangadarshni Chandramohan of the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center and colleagues say high-pulse pressure -- the difference between the systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings -- increases a patient's risk of heart-related disorders, as does high blood pressure.

The researchers studied data from 4,667 children ages 6-17, part of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

"We found the children's body mass didn't correlate to higher pulse pressures, but their waist circumference did," Chandramohan said in a statement.

"This study suggests pediatricians add waist measurements to their routine screening of children to help determine the risk of heart-related disorders. Measuring waist circumference is a much simpler, more cost-effective and a more valid method of screening for the risk of heart-related disorders than the current practice of determining a child's body mass."

Chandramohan presented the abstract at the American Society of Nephrology's Renal Week in Denver, where nearly 14,000 participants exchange knowledge and work to improve kidney health.