DOC News September 1, 2005
Volume 2 Number 9 p. 17
© 2005 American Diabetes Association
Signs of Inflammation in Obese Children
Obese children show early signs of inflammation, according to a recent
report from a group of Italian investigators. In adults, obesity is often
linked to inflammatory markers such as vascular endothelial cell and platelet
activation. Researchers wanted to know whether this is also seen in
children.
The group studied 40 obese children with an average age of 10 years and
matched them to 40 nonobese children for comparison. Several markers of
inflammation were measured by blood tests, including levels of intercellular
adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and
E-selectin. Also measured were two indicators of platelet
activation—high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and 8-iso-prostaglandin
(PG)F2
.
Analysis showed that circulating levels of all markers were higher in obese
children than in nonobese kids. However, no correlation was seen between
levels of inflammatory factors and degree of overweight.
It's possible, researchers conclude, that childhood obesity may promote
early vascular abnormalities that lead to increased cardiovascular morbidity
and mortality later in
life.
Desideri G, De Simone M, Iughetti L, et al.: Early
activation of vascular endothelial cells and platelets in obese children.
J Clin Endocrinol Metabol 90:3145–3152, 2005.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
CiteULike 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati What's this?
