High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, occurs when the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels is too strong. In children, the cumulative effects on their bodies can put them at risk for complications later in life.
Cholesterol is a waxy, fatlike substance in our bloodstreams used by the body to function properly. High cholesterol in children means too much LDL ("bad" cholesterol) or fats called triglycerides have deposited in their blood vessels, putting them at a higher risk of heart diseases such as coronary artery disease.
The majority of a child’s body fat is made of triglycerides, which are fats circulating in the bloodstream. Elevated triglyceride levels may result from medical conditions and dietary causes and, like high cholesterol, are linked to a higher risk of heart diseases.
This heart condition is a type of vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels) in which the immune system attacks the small- and medium-sized blood vessels, including the coronary arteries that carry blood to the heart.
