### How Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes in Teens Affect Cardiovascular Health Teens who have obesity or type 2 diabetes may face an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes later in life due to premature aging in their arteries. This early aging is a hallmark of cardiovascular disease. A study published in May 2020 in the Journal of the American Heart Association followed 448 teens over five years. The study group included 156 adolescents with obesity, 151 teens with type 2 diabetes, and 141 young people without these conditions. At the start of the study, teens with obesity or type 2 diabetes had thicker and stiffer carotid arteries, which are the major blood vessels in the neck that send blood to the brain. Five years later, these teens showed greater increases in thickness and stiffness in their blood vessels compared to their normal-weight peers. Obesity, elevated blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes are generally known risk factors for cardiovascular disease later in life. This study highlights the structural and functional changes in the arteries that occur more often in teens with obesity or type 2 diabetes than in those at a normal weight. These changes suggest that the process leading to heart attacks and strokes has already begun in these adolescents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in five U.S. teens have obesity. Obesity is a significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes, which has become increasingly common among children and teens in recent years. The study used ultrasound to measure carotid intima-media thickness, or the thickness of the two inner layers of the blood vessels. A pulse wave velocity test was also used to assess how quickly blood moved through the blood vessels, with a slower pace indicating stiffer arteries. Other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, like cholesterol levels and blood pressure, were also measured. Teens with obesity and type 2 diabetes started out with higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as thicker and stiffer arteries than teens with a normal weight. Higher systolic blood pressure was associated with greater increases in the thickness and stiffness of arteries. The study wasn't designed to prove whether these markers directly cause heart attacks or strokes in adulthood. However, the stiffness and thickness of arteries typically increase over time, making it likely that teens with premature artery damage would be prone to more heart attacks and strokes earlier in adulthood. Parents of teens with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and/or high blood pressure should seek medical attention to treat these conditions aggressively to prevent premature cardiovascular disease.