The studies on physical fitness in children as descnbed in this thesis address the following questions: (1) is there a relation between physical fitness and cardiovascular risk factors, notably blood pressure and serum lipids and lipoproteins, at a young age? (2) what is the effect of increase of exercise and body weight reduction on blood pressure and the lipoprotein profile in overweight children, who tend to develop unfavorable levels of their cardiovascular risk factors, (3) and what are the possibilities early in life for prevention of future heart and vascular diseases? Results from published studies on blood pressure and physical fitness in children and adolescents were reviewed. Lower blood pressure levels were found in children with higher levels of physical fitness, mainly in boys. The observed association seemed not to depend on age and method to assess physical fitness, but could be gender related. In addition the association between daily physical activity and blood pressure in youngsters was studied. No relation was observed between daily physical activity and blood pressure, which appeared not to depend on the method used to assess daily physical activity. Experimental results from multiple factor intervention trials, including daily physical activity, showed a decrease in blood pressure after one year of intervention.

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Erasmus University Rotterdam
A. Hofman (Albert)
hdl.handle.net/1765/50766
Erasmus MC: University Medical Center Rotterdam

de Man, S. (1991, May 29). Physical fittness and cardiovascular risk factors in children : an epidemiological perspective. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1765/50766