ASSOCIATION OF COMORBIDITY WITH OBESITY IN MEXICAN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is a chronic and recurrent inflammatory disease, associated with high risk to health. It is a world public health problem that affects children and adolescents. It is present in rich and poor countries. Type 2 diabetes, systemic arterial hypertension, blood lipid disorders, and cardiovascular disease together compose the metabolic syndrome (BMI > 95th percentile, weight circumference ≥ 85th percentile, serum glucose ≥ 100 mg/dL, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≤ 40 mg/dL, serum triglycerides ≥ 110 mg/dL); orthopedic lesions and psychosocial problems (marginalization and depression) are present early in life in obese individuals. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe the frequency of comorbidity in a cohort of 185 obese Mexican children and adolescents. METHODS: A total of 185 obese Mexican children and adolescents were included in the study. The following parameters were measured: BMI, serum lipid profile, serum glucose, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and serum uric acid. Complete physical examinations were performed, including blood pressure measurements. RESULTS: BMI was at the 95th percentile in 97% of cases; 75% had ≥1 clinical indicator of comorbidity associated with obesity. Skin lesions (nigricans acanthosis; folliculitis; and grooves in hip, abdomen, and upper and lower extremities), serum lipid disorders (high level of serum triglycerides, low level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), systemic arterial hypertension, and others (eg, hypertransaminemia, hyperuricemia, orthopedic lesions) were the most common. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity in children and adolescents is a severe world public health problem. Obese children and adolescents frequently had associated comorbidity. It is necessary to improve health, juridical, and educational world policies that prevent and support the treatment of obesity in early life.