Chronic Low-grade Inflammation and Haematological, Circulatory, Metabolic, and Hepatic Abnormalities in Childhood Obesity

Reizo Baba, Osaaki Ando, Kyoko Shinohara, Jun Tanaka

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DOI: 10.4236/ojped.2011.11002                

Abstract

Background: Little is known as to the associations between childhood obesity and chronic low-grade inflammation, circulatory, hepatic, metabolic and haematological abnormalities. Design: Case-control study. Methods: A total of 1,871 boys and 1,810 girls were measured anthropometric data, haemoglobin concentration, white blood cell count (WBCC), platelet count, blood pressure, plasma concentrations of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), triglyceride (TG), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. The subjects were classified into three body mass index categories depending on the international standard definition for child overweight and obesity. Results: Systolic blood pressure, serum levels of aminotransferases, TG and HDL-cholesterol, WBCC, and platelet counts were related with BMI in both boys and girls. Obese girls had high risks of having relatively high levels of systolic blood pressure (SBP), ALT, TG, WBCC, platelet count, and relatively low level of HDL-cholesterol. Obese boys had high risks of having relatively high levels of SBP, diastolic blood pressure, AST, ALT, TG, WBCC, Hb concentration, platelet count, and relatively low level of HDL-cholesterol. Conclusions: Childhood obesity is related with chronic inflammation, as well as circulatory, hepatic, metabolic and haematological abnormalities.

Keywords

obesity, metabolic syndrome, inflammation, platelet, children

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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