[Cardiovascular risk factors in childhood. An anamnestic guideline]

Being overweight in childhood causes several cardiovascular risk factors which in turn contribute to accelerated atherosclerosis. Being overweight itself represents a risk factor, but also contributes to an increased prevalence of arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia and impaired glucose tolerance. Thus, cardiovascular prevention should be included in the management of obese children. Most of all, therapy of adiposity should be performed, as weight reduction and increased fitness represent protective factors. Moreover, a detailed cardiovascular workup and therapy of secondary vascular disease must also be performed. Subclinical changes at the level of the endothelium may be diagnosed using modern imaging techniques such as the measurement of the intima-media thickness of the carotid artery. In general, the overweight child should be considered as a future patient with vascular disease! The following article focuses on the prevalence, diagnostics and therapeutic options in the cardiovascular management of overweight children.