Iron deficiency and obesity in children: is there a relationship?

Abstract

A close relationship between obesity and iron metabolism has been proven. Aim. To study the features of iron metabolism in obese children by evaluating dietary iron intake and the level of laboratory markers of iron status, with the goal of improving prevention and correction of identified disorders in this cohort of children. Materials and methods. The actual dietary iron intake was assessed in 75 obese children aged 7-17 years using the Optimal Nutrition 5.0 software. A set of clinical and laboratory research methods was performed in 30 children to identify iron deficiency, as well as a questionnaire on the symptoms of iron deficiency. Results. One third of children have insufficient iron intake with food. Most of the examined children complained and had clinical symptoms characteristic of iron deficiency in the body. 86.7% of obese children had one or more signs of iron deficiency. Laboratory diagnostics using only a general clinical blood test showed insufficient detection of iron deficiency: only in 13.3% of children this analysis showed the presence of abnormalities characteristic of iron deficiency. In the other children, it was detected after a biochemical blood test. Conclusions. The majority of obese children show both clinical and laboratory evidence of iron deficiency, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of obesity-related conditions. Biochemical blood tests are essential for accurate diagnosis of iron deficiency, as standard clinical blood test may not always show the presence of iron deficiency. The high prevalence of iron deficiency indicates the need for targeted nutritional iron support for obesity in children.