title: The Presence and Duration of Overweight Are Associated with Low-Grade Inflammation in Prepubertal Chilean Children.
abstract: Overweight is associated with low-grade inflammation, but it is under debate whether the effect of fat mass accumulation is acute or chronic. We aimed to study the association of overweight duration with low-grade inflammation in children in whom overweight initiation can be established.
  
  
  
  Observational longitudinal study, including a subsample of 250 Chilean children from the Growth and Obesity Cohort Study followed-up yearly since preschool age (n = 1195). At 4 years, 324 children provided blood. From those, 272 participants were evaluated at 7 years. The current analysis includes 250 children with a blood sample at 4 and 7 years of age and C-reactive protein (CRP) <5 mg/L. Anthropometric data (0-4 years) were obtained from health records and measured thereafter; sex- and age-specific body mass index Z-scores (BAZ) were computed. Among overweight (BAZ ≥ 1) participants at 7 years, the duration of overweight (time since diagnosis) was computed and categorized according to tertiles: <36, 36-<72, or ≥72 months. The independent association between overweight (diagnosis and duration) and low-grade inflammation (CRP ≥ 1 mg/L) was studied (logistic regression models).
  
  
  
  Overweight was associated with CRP ≥ 1 mg/L at 7 years [odds ratio (OR) = 2.93 confidence interval (95% CI = 1.60-5.38)], but not at 4 years [OR = 1.26 (95% CI = 0.71-2.26)]. An overweight duration <36 m was independently associated with CRP ≥ 1 mg/L [OR = 3.53 (95% CI = 1.21-10.28)] (reference = normal weight), whereas longer overweight durations (36-<72 or ≥72 m) were not associated with CRP ≥ 1 mg/L [OR = 1.35 (95% CI = 0.41-4.40) and OR = 1.21 (95% CI = 0.35-4.18), respectively].
  
  
  
  Overweight at 7 years of age was associated with low-grade inflammation only in the case of recent onset. Inflammatory disturbances may be associated with the early phases of excess weight.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile , Santiago, Chile .
authors.forename: Magel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile , Santiago, Chile .
authors.forename: María Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Garmendia
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile , Santiago, Chile .
authors.forename: Camila
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Corvalán
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile , Santiago, Chile .
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reyes
mesh_terms: D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: C-reactive protein; children; inflammation; overweight