A recent study from the University of Gothenburg suggests that being overweight as a child does not necessarily increase the risk of heart attack later in life, provided that weight is normalized before adulthood. The research, published in JAMA Pediatrics, analyzed data from over 103,000 individuals born between 1945 and 1968. Researchers collected height and weight records from school health services in Gothenburg and linked them to Swedish national registers on heart attacks.
The findings indicate that both childhood and young adult overweight are associated with an increased risk of heart attack. However, children who were overweight at ages 7–8 but reached normal weight by young adulthood did not have a higher risk than those who maintained normal weight throughout.
An elevated risk was observed among those who were overweight at age 20. This included individuals who had been overweight since childhood as well as those who became overweight during puberty after having normal weight earlier. The study also found that people who developed overweight during puberty faced a greater risk than those consistently overweight since childhood.
“This study doesn’t explain why overweight with onset during puberty seems to carry a greater risk, but we’re working on the hypothesis that puberty, and the changes in sex hormones that occur during puberty, influence matters,” said Claes Ohlsson, professor and senior physician.
The researchers emphasized the importance of early detection and intervention for childhood overweight and obesity. Jenny Kindblom, another co-author and professor, stated: “Our results provide further support for the idea that prevention of adult cardiovascular disease should actually start during childhood.”
