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Metabolic Setup and Risks in Obese Children
Mirjana Kocova1, Elena Sukarova-Angelovska1, Milica Tanaskoska1
1University Pediatric Clinic, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
Insights
Childhood obesity is linked to high insulin levels, especially during puberty. Leptin and adiponectin may indicate metabolic syndrome, and newborn measurements could guide future nutritional strategies to prevent obesity complications.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Metabolic Syndrome Research
- Childhood Obesity Studies
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic with significant metabolic implications.
- Early metabolic work-up, focusing on insulin and adipocytokine levels, is recommended for children as young as 2-6 years.
- Birth weight is a potential contributing factor to later-life obesity and associated metabolic complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate insulin, leptin, and adiponectin levels in obese children and newborns.
- To explore the relationship between these metabolic markers and anthropometric parameters.
- To identify potential indicators for metabolic syndrome and inform future nutritional interventions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of insulin, leptin, and adiponectin levels in 269 obese children, 60 controls, and 110 newborns.
- Utilized standard laboratory methods for biochemical analysis.
- Correlated hormone levels with anthropometric measurements (body weight, length, BMI) in newborns.
Main Results:
- Obese children exhibited elevated insulinemia across all age groups, peaking around puberty.
- 24% of obese children showed glucose intolerance, and 53.6% had a family history of obesity-related diseases.
- Pubertal obese children had significantly higher leptin and lower adiponectin levels compared to prepubertal children and controls.
- Newborn leptin and adiponectin levels correlated with anthropometric parameters.
Conclusions:
- Obese children consistently display high insulin levels, particularly approaching puberty.
- Leptin and adiponectin levels show potential as biomarkers for metabolic syndrome in children.
- Findings in newborns suggest a need for future nutritional approaches to prevent obesity-related complications.
Background:
In the past decades, the obesity epidemic in children of all ages has been an important research field for detecting the metabolic causes and consequences of obesity, the major focus being on insulin and adipocytokine levels. Metabolic work-up in obese children is recommended in the age group as young as 2-6 years. There is evidence that birth weight can be a factor causing obesity later in life accompanied by metabolic complications.
Methods:
Insulin, leptin, and adiponectin levels were analyzed in 269 obese children and 60 controls, as well as 110 newborn children with different birth weight and different length of gestation, using standard methods.
Results:
In 53.6% of the obese children, complications of obesity such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, hyperlipidemia, heart attack or stroke were found in family members. The peak insulinemia on OGTT was significantly higher in the pubertal compared to the prepubertal group (110.5± 75.9 μU/mL versus 72.2±62.7 μU/mL) (p<0.005). Glucose intolerance was confirmed in 24%. The leptin level was significantly higher and the adiponectin level was lower in pubertal obese children compared to the prepubertal children and controls (p<0.05). In newborns the leptin and adiponectin levels were in correlation with anthropometric parameters: body weight (BW), body length (BL), BW/BL, BMI, and the pondered index (p<0.05).
Conclusion:
Obese children have high insulinemia in all ages, reaching its peak towards puberty. The leptin and adiponectin levels might be indicators of the metabolic syndrome. Our findings in newborns might influence the nutritional approach in the future in order to prevent complications of obesity.