Study: Exercise May Improve Heart Health in Prematurely Born Children & Teens

A new study from the University Medical Center Magdeburg will begin in April to investigate the impact of premature birth and physical activity on vascular health in children and adolescents.

Children born prematurely face a significantly increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life. The upcoming “PrEVAFit” study, conducted by the EU-funded research area “Cardiovascular Prevention and Sports Medicine” at the University Medical Center Magdeburg, will examine how prematurity, everyday physical activity, and cardiorespiratory fitness interact to influence the health of blood vessels during childhood and adolescence. The study is currently seeking children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 17 – particularly prematurely born individuals, but full-term peers are likewise eligible to participate.

Why the first years of life are crucial

Around 10 out of 100 children worldwide are born prematurely – before the 37th week of pregnancy. Thanks to modern medicine, more than 95 out of 100 of these children now survive their first year of life. However, numerous studies demonstrate that premature babies are significantly more likely to develop heart disease later on. For example, their risk of heart failure is three to 17 times higher than that of full-term individuals. High blood pressure also occurs up to 2.5 times more frequently, and blood clots in the veins occur almost three times as often.

Childhood is therefore considered a critical period for identifying and addressing long-term health risks as early as possible – for instance, through exercise or targeted preventative care. Understanding these early-life factors is essential for improving long-term cardiovascular health outcomes.

What exactly will be investigated – exercise as a potential protective factor

Here’s where the new “PrEVAFit – Prematurity, Early Vascular Aging and Cardiorespiratory Fitness” study comes in. The research team aims to determine whether regular physical activity can improve the vascular health of prematurely born children and adolescents and what biological processes are involved.

A total of 60 children and adolescents, aged 10 to 17, both premature and full-term, are planned to participate. Participants will undergo a health check including blood and saliva samples, as well as measurements of vascular function. They will also complete a bicycle stress test and answer questions about their daily routines, physical activity, and health. The entire appointment will grab approximately two to two and a half hours.

“We aim for to understand whether and how exercise and sports can help to compensate for potential health disadvantages associated with premature birth,” explained study leader PD Dr. Med. Karsten Königstein. “If we know which children are particularly at risk and what specifically helps them, prevention and counseling can be much more targeted.”

Photo: Performing a spirometry test to measure how well the heart, lungs, and muscles work together during physical exertion. Photographer: private

What is new about the study and what are its limitations

The study combines several medical and scientific disciplines, including pediatrics, cardiology, sports science, immunology, and human genetics. This combination aims to reveal connections that individual studies alone cannot demonstrate.

However, the study also has limitations: with approximately 60 participants, it is relatively small, and the extensive measurements make data collection complex. Further studies will be necessary to verify and expand the results.

The investigation offers a direct benefit to participants: they will receive a detailed assessment of their health status, advice on their health behavior, and recommendations for a healthy lifestyle.

In the long term, the findings could help to plan prevention programs more effectively – for example, special exercise programs for children at increased risk. Whether and how such programs can be implemented will depend on further research results, organizational possibilities, and health policy decisions.

Participating institutions include the Outpatient Clinic for Pediatric Prevention & Sports Medicine (PaePSi) of the University Children’s Hospital Magdeburg, the University Clinic for Cardiology & Angiology Magdeburg, the Institute of Human Genetics, and the Institute for Inflammation and Neurodegeneration of the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, the Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene of the Medical University of Hanover, the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital Utrecht (Netherlands) and the Cardiff Metropolitan University (Wales).

The study is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of Saxony-Anhalt.

Contact for study participants

[email protected], Telephone: +49-391-67-24865

Scientific contact

PD Dr. Karsten Königstein, study leader and specialist in pediatric and adolescent medicine and sports medicine, University Children’s Hospital Magdeburg, Mail: [email protected], Tel.: +49-391-67-24866