Abstract P292: THE LACK OF FASTING INSULIN MEASUREMENT DELAYS THE MANAGEMENT OF PREDIABETES IN OBESE ADOLESCENTS.

Abstract

Background: Insulin resistance is a medical complication associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome in youth. Data have shown that pediatric obesity can stop or even decrease by an adequate clinical management of the insulin resistance-associated syndrome. Despite those new evidences, measurement of insulin resistance in youth remains quite low. Objective: The objective was to review and evaluate the proportion of pediatric obese patients referred to a 2nd line pediatric multidisciplinary obesity clinic among whom insulin resistance was screened or not. Material & Method: We have looked, retrospectively, at the initial blood tests among 133 obese patients (body mass index above 97th percentile with respect for age and sex) above 10 years of age, between July 2017 and April 2019. Sixty percent (60%) of our urban cohort is represented by 1st and 2nd generation immigrants. Hyperinsulinemia was defined as a value above 100 pmol/L. Pediatric obese patients were referred by general practitionniers or community pediatricians. Results: Among the 133 medical files revised, 91 patients shown hyperinsulinemia (68%). Of those 91 patients, 64 were not initially screened for hyperinsulinemia (70%). Interestingly, in the hyperinsulinemia pediatric group, mean HDL-cholesterol was lower, mean triglycérides were higher, as well as the mean alanine transaminase (ALT) compared to the normal insulin group (p smaller than 0.05). In the hyperinsulinemia group, 71,8% of our pediatric cohort was started on metformin therapy in addition to a multidisciplinary intensive educational family interventions as recommended by WHO. Conclusions: Fasting insulin can be variable among puberty stages and general guidelines for the use of metformin in the pediatric population are still to come. However, measurement of elevated fasting insulin among pre- and post-pubertal patients was previously associated with markers of cardiovascular and hepatic complications in obese young patients. Fasting insulin is a simple, cheap, easily accessible measure in all clinical settings. Multidisciplinary health care for pediatric obesity is still embryonic and difficult to access. Appropriate and complete initial clinical investigations, including fasting insulin measurement, should be performed in order not to delay its medical intensive multidisciplinary management both in 1st and 2nd lines practitioners.