Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 18, 2026

Intraperitoneal Glucose Tolerance Test, Measurement of Lung Function, and Fixation of the Lung to Study the Impact of Obesity and Impaired Metabolism on Pulmonary Outcomes
08:30

Intraperitoneal Glucose Tolerance Test, Measurement of Lung Function, and Fixation of the Lung to Study the Impact of Obesity and Impaired Metabolism on Pulmonary Outcomes

Published on: March 15, 2018

Longitudinal multicenter analysis on the course of glucose metabolism in obese children

A Körner1, S Wiegand, A Hungele

  • 1Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Women and Child Health, University Hospital for Children & Adolescents, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. antje.koerner@medizin.uni-leipzig.de

International Journal of Obesity (2005)
|October 4, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Obese children in specialized centers showed improved glucose metabolism, with many cases of impaired glucose tolerance reverting to normal. This positive trend occurred despite modest weight loss, highlighting the effectiveness of treatment interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Metabolic Disorders
  • Obesity Research

Background:

  • Obesity in children is linked to rising impaired glucose metabolism.
  • Limited data exists on the progression of glucose metabolism issues in pediatric obesity.
  • Large-scale, multi-center data on this topic is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of impaired glucose metabolism in obese children.
  • To analyze the longitudinal course of glucose metabolism in this group.
  • To assess outcomes using oral glucose tolerance tests (oGTT) within a pediatric obesity registry.

Main Methods:

  • Observational, multi-center study using the Adiposity Patients Verlaufsbeobachtung (APV) registry.
  • Cross-sectional analysis of 11,156 obese children and longitudinal analysis of 1,008.
  • Classification of glucose metabolism based on American Diabetes Association criteria: impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and Type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Main Results:

  • 12.6% of obese children exhibited abnormal glucose metabolism (5.99% IFG, 5.51% IGT, 1.07% T2D).
  • In longitudinal follow-up, abnormal glucose metabolism decreased from 18.7% to 14.2%.
  • 70.6% of children with initial IGT normalized their glucose tolerance; improvement was linked to BMI changes but not solely dependent on them.

Conclusions:

  • Specialized treatment centers facilitate significant improvements in oGTT parameters for obese children.
  • Positive metabolic changes were observed even with modest reductions in Body Mass Index (BMI) standard deviation score.
  • These findings underscore the benefit of structured interventions for pediatric obesity and associated metabolic dysregulation.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Sample Preparation to Bioinformatics Analysis of DNA Methylation: Association Strategy for Obesity and Related Trait Studies14:56

Sample Preparation to Bioinformatics Analysis of DNA Methylation: Association Strategy for Obesity and Related Trait Studies

Published on: May 6, 2022

Related Concept Videos

Glucose Homeostasis: Regulation of Blood Glucose01:02

Glucose Homeostasis: Regulation of Blood Glucose

Carbohydrates consumed through foods are converted into glucose, a crucial energy source for the body. In the prandial state, high blood glucose levels stimulate the secretion of insulin from the pancreas. Insulin inhibits hepatic glucose production and stimulates glucose uptake and metabolism by muscle and adipose tissue. The excess glucose is converted into glycogen and stored in the liver and muscles.
During fasting, when blood glucose levels are low, the pancreas secretes glucagon. it...
Pharmacokinetics in Obese Patients: Drug Metabolism and Excretion01:20

Pharmacokinetics in Obese Patients: Drug Metabolism and Excretion

Drug metabolism, a critical process in the liver, involves two primary phases: Phase I reactions and Phase II conjugation. Obesity introduces significant alterations in this metabolic process, primarily due to fatty infiltration of the liver, leading to conditions such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This condition can modify the activities of both Phase I and II enzymes, impacting how drugs are metabolized in obese patients.Phase I metabolism sees variable effects across...
Pharmacokinetics in Obese Patients: Drug Absorption and Distribution01:25

Pharmacokinetics in Obese Patients: Drug Absorption and Distribution

Obesity significantly alters the pharmacokinetic processes of drug absorption and distribution, presenting unique challenges in medical treatment. The increased fat tissue and decreased lean muscle in obese individuals can significantly affect how drugs are absorbed into the body and distributed across different tissues. This alteration can lead to variances in the effectiveness and safety of medications, necessitating adjustments in dosing or drug selection for obese patients.One notable...
Obesity01:24

Obesity

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a numerical value derived from a person's weight and height, used to categorize individuals into weight ranges. It is calculated using the formula: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Obesity is a health condition characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue that poses health risks, often diagnosed with a BMI ≥ 30. This excess fat storage occurs when surplus dietary calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in adipocytes...
Glucose Absorption Into the Small Intestine01:26

Glucose Absorption Into the Small Intestine

Complex carbohydrates consumed cannot be absorbed into the small intestine in their original form. First, they must be hydrolyzed to a monosaccharide form such as glucose or galactose. These monosaccharides are then transported across the intestinal membrane and into the blood via transcellular transport. The intestinal epithelial cells allow the movement of these monosaccharides with a defined 'entry' through membrane transporter proteins present on their apical membrane and 'exit' via the...
Hormones Regulating Blood Glucose01:16

Hormones Regulating Blood Glucose

Insulin is released by beta cells of the pancreas when blood glucose levels are high. It facilitates glucose absorption and utilization in insulin-dependent cells with insulin receptors on their plasma membranes. Insulin promotes glucose uptake by increasing the number of glucose transport proteins in the cell membrane, allowing glucose to enter the cell. As a result, glucose utilization and ATP production are enhanced.
In addition to accelerating glucose uptake and utilization, insulin has...