The American journal of the medical sciences
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Findings of atherosclerotic plaques in adolescents, in the context of current epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes in youth, demand investigation into early cardiovascular risk development. Left ventricular hypertrophy has been linked to hypertension, obesity, and insulin resistance. ⋯ A subclinical metabolic syndrome is detectable early in life, before abnormal fasting glucose or high blood pressure appear. Evidence of excessive load on the heart is associated with the metabolic syndrome even after accounting for the effects of race, gender, and blood pressure. Cardiac structure seems as closely associated with this syndrome as fasting glucose level. Based on this evidence, we propose that increased left ventricular mass is a part of insulin resistance syndrome and adds to the need for preventive public health measures to improve health behaviors and cardiovascular risk status in US youth.