Exercise Intervention on Cortisol Secretion and Cardiovascular Disease Risk

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents is increasing at an alarming rate. Evidence exists that childhood obesity is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality through adulthood. The US population has moved towards a sedentary life style, which has further exacerbated the obesity epidemic. Central body fat deposition has emerged as an important predictor of the health hazards of obesity. Increased levels of cortisol cause central fat deposition characteristic of the metabolic syndrome. The function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in obesity has been studied in adults. The correlation between cortisol and the cardiovascular disease risk profile in adolescents is not well established, particularly as related to obesity. Native Americans have a higher incidence of obesity and cardiovascular disease. In this study, we will determine correlates of salivary cortisol in adolescents living in Anadarko, a central location of the Seven Tribes of Southwest Oklahoma. We will also examine the effect of a 12-week standardized exercise training program on salivary cortisol and the cardiovascular disease risk profile in at risk adolescents.