Multicomponent intervention improves gut microbiome and cardiac autonomic function in childhood obesity

Childhood obesity is associated with gut microbiome dysbiosis, inflammation, and early cardiac autonomic dysfunction. Lifestyle interventions integrating physical activity and dietary modification represent a primary strategy to mitigate cardiometabolic risk during childhood. This longitudinal intervention study investigated cardiovascular, autonomic, inflammatory, metabolic, and gut microbiome-related outcomes before and after a 4-month program combining structured physical exercise with food and nutrition education in 51 children with obesity aged 7 to 10 years. The intervention promoted favorable dietary changes, including reduced intake of saturated fatty acids (SFA), sodium, and total energy. These modifications were accompanied by a reduction in body fat percentage and systemic inflammation, evidenced by lower circulating interleukin-17A (IL-17A) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels. Improvements in biochemical profiles were observed, including increased albumin and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), and reduced serum triglyceride and urea levels. Metabolomic analyses revealed beneficial shifts in circulating phosphatidylethanolamines, phosphatidylglycerols, choline, and branched-chain amino acids (BCAA). Cardiovascular assessments demonstrated significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and improvements in heart rate variability, indicating enhanced cardiac autonomic modulation. Gut microbiota analyses showed no differences in alpha or beta diversity; however, Bray-Curtis volatility analyses identified significant within-subject compositional shifts. Exploratory multivariate analyses suggested potential associations between specific gut taxa (e.g., Ligilactobacillus, Streptococcus, Roseburia), circulating metabolites, and cardiovascular autonomic indices, supporting the existence of microbiota-metabolite-heart interactions. In summary, a 4-month multicomponent lifestyle intervention improved cardiovascular autonomic function, inflammatory status, and cardiometabolic profiles in children with obesity. These findings highlight the cardiovascular benefits of early lifestyle modification and support integrative approaches targeting autonomic and metabolic pathways in pediatric obesity.