Cardiometabolic risk factors and early indicators of vascular dysfunction: a cross-sectional cohort study in South African adolescents.

Overweight/obesity and hypertension show a high prevalence in rural South African youth. Almost half of the studied adolescents are at risk for developing CVD. The high association between cardiometabolic risk factors and PWV further suggests that hypertension in adolescents may promote the progression of CVD in adulthood. Early detection of those at risk and the implementation of preventive strategies in underprivileged young people is urgently needed to stop the progression of vascular damage and manifestation of CVD in rural African children.