Farello G, et al. - Researchers used carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) to compare cardiovascular disease risk among metabolically healthy obese (MHO) children, obese children with metabolic disorders (MUO), and a control group of normal-weight children. Findings revealed that relative to normal-weight children, significantly greater CIMT was detected in obese patients, including those without metabolic alterations.

Methods

• This study included 204 obese children (114 M, 90 F), including 162 MUO (74 M, 88 F) and 42 MHO (24 M, 18 F), and 99 gender- and age-matched controls (45 M, 54 F).
• Researchers assessed glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and other serum values in peripheral blood.
• They also obtained anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, and a carotid Doppler ultrasound scan.
• They used analysis of variance to compare the mean CIMT of obese subjects and controls.
• Abnormality of even one of the metabolic parameters assessed resulted in assignation to the MUO group.
• They compared mean CIMT in MHO and MUO children.

Results

• They found that mean CIMT in control children was 402.97±53.18 μm (left carotid artery) and 377.85±52.47 μm (right carotid artery).
• Data revealed that in MHO and MUO patients, the estimated CIMT was respectively 453.29±62.04 and 460.17±92.22 μm (left carotid artery) and 446.36±49.21 and 456.30±85.7 μm (right carotid artery).
• No significant difference was noted in the mean CIMT between MUO and MHO children, while a significantly different CIMT was detected between both groups of obese children and controls (p < 0.01).