Introduction: The aims of this study were to examine cross-sectional, and longitudinal association of different measures of obesity and physical fitness with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in adolescents with Down syndrome. Methods: Longitudinal analysis included 90 adolescents with Down syndrome. Obesity and physical fitness were…

Background: Research suggests that people with intellectual disabilities have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease than the general population. The aim of this study was to identify barriers for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular disease for people with intellectual disabilities. Method: We conducted individual…

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at a greater risk of developing high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. We examined whether physical inactivity, obesity, and diabetes were predictive of reported high cholesterol and whether there were any mediating effects of diabetes on the relationship between obesity and…

Background: Cardiometabolic risk factors are related to the early onset of chronic health conditions. Purpose: To identify factors associated with perceptions about the severity of three interrelated cardiometabolic risks (i.e., high blood pressure, obesity, and cardiovascular disease) among U.S. college students. Methods: Data were analyzed from…

Background: Over half of all firefighter deaths are due to heart attacks. Physical activity (PA) is a protective factor against cardiovascular disease, but most firefighters do not meet recommended PA levels. Volunteer firefighters (VFFs), particularly in rural areas, may have unique reasons for not meeting recommendations. Purpose: To examine…

Background: Risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) and association with abdominal obesity have not been extensively studied in genetic syndromes associated with intellectual disability. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in individuals aged 20-43 years with Williams syndrome (WS; n = 21), Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS; n =…

Poor physical health is common in people with Severe Mental Illness (SMI). Two-thirds of deaths in SMI could be avoided if patients are offered prompt physical health screening for known risk factors. We aimed to identify SMI patients registered at a General Practice and audit their care in relation to physical health monitoring. We included adult…

Background: Depression, anxiety, diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors are frequent health problems among older people with intellectual disability (ID). These conditions may be bidirectionally related. Depression and anxiety may have biological effects causing glucose intolerance, fat accumulation and also lifestyle changes causing metabolic…

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the comprehensive data set of health of college students regarding cardiovascular risk factors, specifically body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), fasting lipid profile, and glucose and to compare results to similar studies. Results were also used to educate individual students regarding their…

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine factors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among emerging adults in college aged 18-25 years. CVD risks that develop during this period often persist into adulthood making it an ideal time to target CVD prevention. The specific aims of this dissertation were to 1) explore perceptions…

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) increases the risk of cardiovascular events. Heart rate variability (HRV) represents autonomic functioning, and reduced HRV significantly increases cardiovascular mortality. The aims of the present paper are to assess the prevalence of MetS in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID), the difference in short-term HRV…

People with metabolic syndrome (MS) are at increased risk of coronary heart disease and other health problems, such as diabetes and stroke. However, there is little previous information on the prevalence and determinants of MS among people with intellectual disabilities (IDs). The present study aimed to examine the prevalence of MS risk factors…

Objective: To compare college students' perceived disease risk with disease prevalence rates. Methods: Data were analyzed from 625 college students collected with an Internet-based survey. Paired t-tests were used to separately compare participants' perceived 10-year and lifetime disease risk for 4 diseases: heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and…

Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors such as obesity and reduced cardio-respiratory fitness. It has also been shown that adolescents with probable DCD (p-DCD) have elevated cardiac output (CO) and stroke volume (SV) compared to typically developing (TD)…

Background: American Indian children and adolescents are at risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, elevated cholesterol, and smoking, all of which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Objective: To address these health issues, we developed, implemented, and evaluated a culturally appropriate cardiovascular disease curriculum…