title: Insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular changes in a group of obese children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity-related comorbidities are present in young obese children, providing a platform for early adult cardiovascular disorders.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare and correlate markers of adiposity to metabolic disturbances, vascular and cardiac morphology in a European pediatric obese cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out an observational and transversal analysis in a cohort consisting of 121 obese children of both sexes, between the ages of 6 and 17 years. The control group consisted of 40 children with normal body mass index within the same age range. Markers of adiposity, plasma lipids and lipoproteins, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance, common carotid artery intima-media thickness and left ventricular diameters were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were statistically significant differences between the control and obese groups for the variables analyzed, all higher in the obese group, except for age, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and adiponectin, higher in the control group. In the obese group, body mass index was directly correlated to left ventricular mass (r=0.542; p=0.001), the homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (r=0.378; p=<0.001) and mean common carotid artery intima-media thickness (r=0.378; p=<0.001). In that same group, insulin resistance was present in 38.1%, 12.5% had a combined dyslipidemic pattern, and eccentric hypertrophy was the most common left ventricular geometric pattern.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that these markers may be used in clinical practice to stratify cardiovascular risk, as well as to assess the impact of weight control programs.
authors.affiliation: Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: António
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pires
authors.affiliation: Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Instituto Biomédico de Investigação da Luz e Imagem, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana Margarida
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Patricia Vaz
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marinho
authors.affiliation: Instituto Biomédico de Investigação da Luz e Imagem, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Margarida
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.affiliation: Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Castela
authors.affiliation: Instituto Biomédico de Investigação da Luz e Imagem, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sena
authors.affiliation: Instituto Biomédico de Investigação da Luz e Imagem, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Seiça
mesh_terms: D000052:Acanthosis Nigricans / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D050154:Adiposity; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000473:pathology; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D015415:Biomarkers; D020738:Leptin; D008074:Lipoproteins