Rate of BMI increase in children may predict risk of heart disease

The rate at which body mass index (BMI) increases in childhood is associated with the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) as an adult, according to the results of a study published in the Oct. 27 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

My readers may be aware that at the fifth grade level in the state of California, children’s weights are measured and their body mass indexes are calculated. The Fallbrook Childhood Diabetes Prevention Program is using these measurements from La Paloma and Live Oak schools to determine fifth-graders’ risk for type 2 diabetes. The study reported here from...