• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Resource Centers
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Covid Resource Center
    • Clinical Trials Resource Center
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / Health Conditions / Heart Health / No Time Like The Present! 8 Steps To Protect Your Child From Heart Disease

No Time Like The Present! 8 Steps To Protect Your Child From Heart Disease

heart disease

The consequences of heart disease often don’t show up until someone is well into adulthood. So why should busy parents be thinking about it with their kids?

“Because it’s probably way easier to prevent the development of cardiac risk factors than to try and get rid of them once they’ve developed,” says Dr. Sarah de Ferranti, a pediatric cardiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital. “Prevention really is key.”

Most people don’t think about risk factors during childhood, says de Ferranti, who also is an associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. “But I think it’s actually essential that we all start doing that.”

According to a recent study in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, only 2.2% of 2- to 19-year-olds had “optimal” scores on a scoring system that included diet, physical activity and body mass index. And while nearly 57% of 2- to 5-year-olds had high scores, among 11- to 19-year-olds, that fell to 14%.

You May Also Like
13 Signs You Need to See a Dermatologist

Protecting a child’s heart health can begin with a focus on a mother’s health during or even before pregnancy, says Dr. Amanda Marma Perak, senior author of the Circulation study and a pediatric cardiologist at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. But if you have a child and you haven’t been thinking about their heart health, “now is the time to start,” she adds.

Perak and de Ferranti offered this advice.

It starts with eating

Healthy eating habits are crucial for heart health. They also can be challenging to figure out.

“I think first is just understanding, what is healthy food?” says Perak, who is also an assistant professor of pediatrics and preventive medicine at Northwestern University. She recently helped write an update to the scoring system for heart health now known as Life’s Essential 8. It weighs eight contributors to heart health for children and adults: diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep health, body weight, blood lipids (cholesterol and other fats), blood glucose and blood pressure.

You May Also Like
7 Proven Ways to Cure an Upset Stomach

To help families understand what makes up a healthy diet, Perak uses the Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate method. It envisions a diet where half the food is vegetables and fruits, a quarter is lean protein and a quarter is whole grain, with a side of dairy.

RELATED: 4 Tricks to Turn Your Fussy Eater Around heart disease

Be patient

For picky eaters, a light touch can pay off, de Ferranti adds. She’s found it effective to

Continue Reading

The Latest In Heart Health

psyllium fiber

Psyllium: The Super Fiber For Heart Health & Weight Loss

If you’re struggling to maintain low cholesterol levels or manage your blood sugar, a dietary fiber that goes by the name psyllium may be just the thing you need. Never heard of it? Psyllium is a soluble fiber used commonly read more about Psyllium: The Super Fiber For Heart Health & Weight Loss
Killer Mike

Rapper & Activist Breaks Down Heart Health in the Black Community”

In 2021 alone, more than 930,000 deaths in the United States were due to cardiovascular disease, which equates to one in every four deaths. At the top of this list are Black adults, who continue to be disproportionately affected, according read more about Rapper & Activist Breaks Down Heart Health in the Black Community”
heart tests

4 Essential Heart Tests For A Longer Life

For decades, doctors had nothing more sophisticated than a stress test to identify potential heart problems. Not anymore. Cardiologists now use advanced imaging and blood tests that give a much more accurate assessment of heart attack risk. These tests are read more about 4 Essential Heart Tests For A Longer Life
fish oil supplements

Fish Oil Supplements: The ‘Live Longer’ Pill?

Omega-3 fish oil supplements may slightly lower the risk of dying after heart failure or a recent heart attack, but they don’t prevent heart disease, says an advisory issued Monday by the American Heart Association. About 18.8 million adults in read more about Fish Oil Supplements: The ‘Live Longer’ Pill?
Structural racism

Racism Brings Worse Heart Health for Black Women

Black women who are exposed to certain forms of racism may be more likely to develop heart disease, researchers say. Specifically, Black women who have faced discrimination in employment, housing and in their interactions with the police were 26 percent read more about Racism Brings Worse Heart Health for Black Women
heart disease

A Virginia Woman Says She Never Thought “She’d Developed Heart Disease”

One of the leading causes of death in America is heart disease. Unfortunately, research says that Black Americans are “30% more likely to die from chronic heart failure” than other races. Fortunately, doctors have argued that the chronic disease can read more about A Virginia Woman Says She Never Thought “She’d Developed Heart Disease”

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • 10 Signs You’re Living With Clogged Arteries 10 Signs You’re Living With Clogged Arteries
  • Tracee Ellis Ross at 50: Loving Her Body With No FilterTracee Ellis Ross at 50: Loving Her Body With No Filter
  • Like Father, Like Son: ‘Miami Vice’ Star’s Son Handsome Like his DaddyLike Father, Like Son: 'Miami Vice' Star's Son Handsome Like his Daddy
  • Mo’Nique at 55: Slimmer, Happier & Wiser: “I Love Us For Real”Mo'Nique at 55: Slimmer, Happier & Wiser: "I Love Us For Real"
  • The Cast of The Bernie Mac Show: 20+ Years LaterThe Cast of The Bernie Mac Show: 20+ Years Later

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2023, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.