TV Viewing Poses Greater Risk Than Computer Use For Cardiovascular Disease

Physical activity will definitely lower children's chances of developing cardiovascular disease down the road, but physical inactivity will not necessarily increase it. Findings from a recent Queen's University study shows different kinds of sedentary behaviour may have different consequences for young people's health.

Watching television circa 1958

Credit: Wikipedia

"Even if a child is physically active, this activity is really only making up a short period of their whole day, so it's important to look at other aspects of their day to see what's going on. Part of that is the kind of sedentary behaviours they engage in," says Valerie Carson, a doctoral candidate in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen's.

Previous research has identified high volumes of sedentary behaviour as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in adults. But among the children she surveyed, Ms. Carson found no general connection between the volume of sedentary behaviour and the risk of developing diabetes or coronary heart disease.

Instead, she noticed some types of sedentary activities having a greater impact on children's health than others. Specifically, high levels of TV viewing predicted higher cardio-metabolic risk, whereas high computer use did not.

One possible explanation is that TV viewing falls near the bottom on the scale of energy expenditure, according to some research. Another is that activities like snacking between meals that usually go hand-in-hand with specific kinds of screen times may be causing the associated health risks.

"The take home message is that we want children to be more physically active, but then, at the same time, we need to think about what they're doing the rest of the time," explains Mr. Carson. "Our study suggests we should also limit children's television viewing time."


Contacts and sources:
Anne Craig
Queen's University

Ms. Carson collaborated on this study with Dr. Ian Janssen (Department of Community Health and Epidemiology). Their work was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

The findings were recently published in the journal BMC Public Health.

Today's Teens Will Die Younger Of Heart Disease

High blood sugar, obesity, poor diet, smoking, little exercise make adolescents unhealthiest in US history

A new study that takes a complete snapshot of adolescent cardiovascular health in the United States reveals a dismal picture of teens who are likely to die of heart disease at a younger age than adults do today, reports Northwestern Medicine research.

"We are all born with ideal cardiovascular health, but right now we are looking at the loss of that health in youth," said Donald Lloyd-Jones, M.D., chair and associate professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "Their future is bleak."

Lloyd-Jones is the senior investigator of the study presented Nov. 16 at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Orlando.

The effect of this worsening teen health is already being seen in young adults. For the first time, there is an increase in cardiovascular mortality rates in younger adults ages 35 to 44, particularly in women, Lloyd-Jones said.

The alarming health profiles of 5,547 children and adolescents, ages 12 to 19, reveal many have high blood sugar levels, are obese or overweight, have a lousy diet, don't get enough physical activity and even smoke, the new study reports. These youth are a representative sample of 33.1 million U.S. children and adolescents from the 2003 to 2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.

"Cardiovascular disease is a lifelong process," Lloyd-Jones said. "The plaques that kill us in our 40s and 50s start to form in adolescence and young adulthood. These risk factors really matter."

"After four decades of declining deaths from heart disease, we are starting to lose the battle again," Lloyd-Jones added.

The American Heart Association (AHA) defines ideal cardiovascular health as having optimum levels of seven well-established cardiovascular risk factors, noted lead study author Christina Shay, who did the research while she was a postdoctoral fellow in preventive medicine at Northwestern's Feinberg School. Shay now is an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

"What was most alarming about the findings of this study is that zero children or adolescents surveyed met the criteria for ideal cardiovascular health," Shay said. "These data indicate ideal cardiovascular health is being lost as early as, if not earlier than the teenage years."

The study used measurements from the AHA's 2020 Strategic Impact Goals for monitoring cardiovascular health in adolescents and children. Among the findings:

TERRIBLE DIETS

All the 12-to-19-year-olds had terrible diets, which, surprisingly, were even worse than those of adults, Lloyd-Jones said. None of their diets met all five criteria for being healthy. Their diets were high in sodium and sugar-sweetened beverages and didn't include enough fruits, vegetables, fiber or lean protein.

"They are eating too much pizza and not enough whole foods prepared inside the home, which is why their sodium is so high and fruit and vegetable content is so low," Lloyd-Jones said.

HIGH BLOOD SUGAR

More than 30 percent of boys and more than 40 percent of girls have elevated blood sugar, putting them at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE

Thirty-five percent of boys and girls are overweight or obese. "These are startling rates of overweight and obesity, and we know it worsens with age," Lloyd-Jones said. "They are off to a bad start."

LOW PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Approximately 38 percent of girls had an ideal physical activity level compared to 52 percent of boys.

HIGH CHOLESTEROL

Girls' cholesterol levels were worse than boys'. Only 65 percent of girls met the ideal level compared to 73 percent of boys.

SMOKING

Almost 25 percent of teens had smoked within the past month of being surveyed.

BLOOD PRESSURE

Most boys and girls (92.9 percent and 93.4 percent, respectively) had an ideal level of blood pressure.

The problem won't be easy to fix. "We are much more sedentary and get less physical activity in our daily lives," Lloyd-Jones said. "We eat more processed food, and we get less sleep. It's a cultural phenomenon, and the many pressures on our health are moving in a bad direction. This is a big societal problem we must address."


Contacts and sources:
Marla Paul 
Northwestern University



The research was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

112 MPG Mitsubishi i-MiEV Tops 2012 EPA & DOE Fuel Efficient Car List

Rankings are based on combined city and highway fuel economy estimates (weighted by 55% city and 45% highway).

Rank	Manufacturer/Model	MPG combined/city/highway
1	Mitsubishi i-MiEV (electric)†	112/126/99
2	Nissan Leaf (electric)†	99/106/92
3	Azure Dynamics Transit Connect Electric Van (electric) † Azure Dynamics Transit Connect Electric Wagon (electric) †	62/62/62
4	Chevrolet Volt (plug-in hybrid)*	60/58/62
5	Toyota Prius (hybrid)	50/51/48
6	Honda Civic Hybrid	44/44/44
7	Toyota Prius v (hybrid)	42/44/40
8	Lexus CT 200h (hybrid)	42/43/40
9	Honda Insight (hybrid)	42/41/44
10	Toyota Camry Hybrid LE	41/43/39

† This is an all-electric vehicle. Since electricity is not measured in gallons, a conversion factor is used to translate the fuel economy into miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent (MPGe).

* This vehicle is a plug-in hybrid, which runs on both gasoline and electricity. Since electricity is not measured in gallons, a conversion factor is used to translate the fuel economy when running on electricity into miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent (MPGe). The combined MPGe estimate includes a mix of gasoline and electric energy use.

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are releasing the 2012 Fuel Economy Guide, providing consumers with information that can help them choose a more efficient new vehicle that saves them money and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. While fuel efficient vehicles come in a variety of fuel types, classes, and sizes, many new advanced technology vehicles debut on this year's annual list of top fuel economy performers. Fuel economy leaders within each vehicle category—from two-seaters to large SUVs—include widely available products such as conventional gasoline models and clean diesels.

Some 2012 models will be displaying a new fuel economy and environment label that provides consumers with more comprehensive fuel efficiency information, including five-year fuel costs or savings compared to the average vehicle, as well as new greenhouse gas and smog ratings. These labels are actually required in model year 2013, but automakers may voluntarily adopt the new labels in model year 2012.

Each vehicle listing in the guide provides an estimated annual fuel cost. The estimate is calculated based on the vehicle's miles per gallon (mpg) rating and national estimates for annual mileage and fuel prices. The online version of the guide allows consumers to input their local gasoline prices and typical driving habits to receive a personalized fuel cost estimate.

Printed editions of the guide are coming to dealer showrooms. DOE and EPA will provide online updates of fuel economy information as more 2012 vehicles become available.

For more information and a complete version of the guide, see FuelEconomy.gov orFuelEconomy.gov/m for mobile devices.

View the 2012 fuel economy leaders within each class and the lowest fuel economy models.

See more information about the new label.