Abstract
Objective: Childhood obesity is a growing concern as the World Health Organization (WHO) states that ~10% of adolescents worldwide are overweight or obese. This condition is the reflex of energy imbalance between the calories consumed and those expended. Sex-related responses associated with dyslipidemia, hormonal alterations, and neuro-humoral disruptions in childhood obesity are the focus of the present investigation.Methods: Ninety-two Brazilian adolescents were enrolled and divided between obese and eutrophic groups. Obesity was assessed using body mass index Z-score according to age and weight. Anthropometrical analyses, blood pressure, blood lipids, metabolism-regulating hormones, and neuropeptides were carried out.Results: Systolic blood pressure was higher in female and male patients with obesity. Obese females presented alterations in lipid profile and an augment of cardiovascular disease prediction ratios TC/HDL, TG/HDL, LDL/HDL, and VLDL/HDL. The levels of leptin, GIP, and neuropeptide showed sex-dimorphism in obesity. The obese adolescents presented increased levels of circulating insulin, c-peptide, amylin, glucagon, and GLP-1. Correlation analysis showed significant linearity between body mass index, blood pressure, lipids, lipoproteins, hormones, and neuropeptides content.Conclusions: Our data support an existing link associating hypertension, dyslipidemia, and neuro-hormonal imbalance in childhood obesity. We also described a sex-dependent pattern in childhood obesity-associated dyslipidemia and blood pressure in female patients with obesity solely.
Highlights
Obesity is a consequence of energy imbalance between the calories consumed and those expended and is associated with several health problems
No statistical differences were found among groups for diastolic blood pressure (DBP)
Body mass index (BMI) z-score is not a direct marker of adiposity or fat distribution, these results indicate that an increased BMI z-score in adolescents with obesity could be a risk factor to develop early hypertension [4, 20]
Summary
Obesity is a consequence of energy imbalance between the calories consumed and those expended and is associated with several health problems. Excessive adiposity in the young population conduces into adult obesity, imposing markedly increased risk for metabolic disturbance and cardiovascular disease, as a consequence of hypertension, lipid disturbances, or hormonal impaired status in adult life [4,5,6]. Abnormalities in serum lipid levels (dyslipidemia) and hypertension are inextricably linked risk factors for cardiovascular diseases [7,8,9]. The pathophysiology of obesity-related hypertension is associated with overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), and sodium retention, among other alterations [11]. Alterations in hormonal levels due to obesity, such as hyperinsulinemia or hyperleptinemia seem to be responsible for SNS overactivity and to play an important role in blood pressure regulation [13, 14]. Leptin contributes to an increased plasma volume by acting on neurons expressing either neuropeptide Y (NPY) or alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) [16]
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