Association between the degree of obesity and the presence of cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors. Study in obese adolescents of both sexes

Abstract

Among the comorbidities associated with obesity, there are cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, whose frequencies have increased in adolescents. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors and evaluate the relationship between abdominal obesity and high blood pressure, insulinemia and insulin resistance in adolescents diagnosed with obesity. This cross-sectional study included 153 adolescents (10-14 years old) with obesity (Body Mass Index z ≥ 2) and severe obesity (Body Mass Index z ≥ 3). Hypertension was defined as systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure percentile (p) ≥ 95, and prehypertension as systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure p ≥ 90 and < 95 (for age, sex, and height, measured on three separate occasions). Serum insulin was determined by microparticle chemiluminescence and glycemia by the enzymatic method with final colorimetry by Trinder. Cutoff values for insulin resistance were HOMA-IR ≥ 3 whereas those for hyperinsulinemia were > 30 uIU/ ml (for Tanner II-IV). The frequencies of cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors in the obese and severe obese groups were: prehypertension: 10 % and 25 % (p = 0.024), hypertension 8 % and 22 % (p = 0.029), hyperinsulinemia 12 % and 41 % (p = 0.003), and insulin resistance 43 % and 57 % (p = 0.149), respectively.
To evaluate the risk factors associated with the degree of abdominal obesity, a logistic regression model was used considering sex, age, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, glycemia, insulinemia, and HOMA-IR as independent variables, disclosing positive association with systolic