Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41739288›Full record

ReviewCurrent cardiology reports2026

Improving National Fitness: An Updated Review on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Screening and Exercise Training in School-Aged Children in the U.S.

Michael F Mendoza, Michael A Anzelmo, Nina M Suan, Marie-Claire Fourchy, Carl J Lavie

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Current cardiology reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Michael F MendozaOchsner Cancer Institute, The Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA, 70121, USA. michael.mendoza@ochsner.org.
Michael A AnzelmoDepartment of Internal Medicine, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Nina M SuanFaculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Santo Tomas, Metro Manila, Philippines.
Marie-Claire FourchyIndependent Researcher, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Carl J LavieDepartment of Cardiovascular Diseases, Ochsner Clinical School, John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, The University of Queensland School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purpose of reviewTo synthesize contemporary evidence on school-feasible cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk screening and exercise training (ET) for U.S. children (ages 6–17) and to outline a pragmatic national framework that prioritizes fitness over size-based metrics. RECENT

findingsAnthropometric indicators such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) remain practical, low-cost tools for identifying obesity-related cardiometabolic risk in schools. When complemented by blood pressure (BP) measurement, they provide a more complete profile. However, all anthropometric and hemodynamic measures are inferior to cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), which more strongly predicts future CVD risk and all-cause mortality. Both aerobic ET (aET) and resistance ET (rET) independently enhance CRF and muscular strength (MusS), yielding additive cardiometabolic benefits independent of weight loss. Implementation remains limited by reduced physical education (PE) time (PET), fragmented data systems, and insufficient teacher training. A unified national framework emphasizing CRF as a clinical vital sign, standardized screening, and structured ET in schools offers a low-cost, high-impact strategy to curb pediatric CVD risk. Policy efforts should promote validated field tests, teacher training, and integration with pediatric care networks. Shifting the focus from weight reduction to fitness optimization after establishing proper technique reduces stigma, boosts participation, and fosters lifelong physical literacy. Embedding evidence-based screening and ET into educational infrastructure could redefine preventive cardiology, positioning schools as a foundation of cardiovascular health promotion.

Indexed as

Cardiorespiratory FitnessCardiovascular DiseasesExerciseMass ScreeningPhysical Education and TrainingPhysical FitnessAdolescentBody Mass IndexChildHealth PromotionHeart Disease Risk FactorsHumansRisk AssessmentRisk FactorsSchool Health ServicesUnited StatesCardiorespiratory fitnessCardiovascular diseaseExercise trainingObesitySchoolScreening

Identifiers

PMID41739288

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.