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Published on: February 2, 2017

Relation of subepicardial adipose tissue thickness and clinical and metabolic parameters in obese prepubertal

Samil Hizli1, Osman Ozdemir, Ayhan Abaci

  • 1Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Kecioren Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. shizli@yahoo.com

Pediatric Diabetes
|March 27, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Subepicardial adipose tissue thickness (SATT) is linked to insulin resistance (IR) in obese children. A cutoff of 4.33 mm for SATT can identify IR in this group.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Metabolic Syndrome

Background:

  • Subepicardial adipose tissue thickness (SATT) is a marker associated with insulin resistance (IR) in adults.
  • The relationship between SATT and IR in obese prepubertal children remains under-investigated.
  • This study addresses the gap by evaluating SATT in relation to metabolic and anthropometric parameters in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the association of SATT with clinical anthropometric and metabolic parameters in obese prepubertal children.
  • To establish a cutoff value for SATT that indicates the presence of IR in obese prepubertal children.

Main Methods:

  • Echocardiography was used to measure SATT in 52 obese and 31 lean prepubertal children.
  • Subjects were matched for age and gender.
  • Insulin resistance was assessed using the homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index.

Main Results:

  • Obese children exhibited significantly higher SATT and HOMA-IR compared to lean controls (p < 0.001).
  • SATT showed significant correlations with age, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, mid-arm circumference, triceps skin fold thickness, insulin, and HOMA-IR.
  • An SATT cutoff of 4.33 mm was identified as optimal for detecting IR, with 93.3% sensitivity and 51% specificity.

Conclusions:

  • SATT is a significant correlate of metabolic and anthropometric parameters, including IR, in obese prepubertal children.
  • The findings suggest SATT can be a valuable indicator for identifying IR in this pediatric population.
  • A specific cutoff value for SATT is proposed to aid in the early detection of IR.
Abstract

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