ESPE Abstracts

Background: Increasing obesity epidemic is not limited to the developed world, but is gradually gaining grounds in the developing countries. The attendant metabolic syndrome is one major complication but liver disease seems to be attaining significant proportion in adult and adolescent obese patients.

Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate the extent of liver damage in obese children attending the Paediatric endocrinology clinic using liver enzyme levels.

Method: Weight, height and BMI with Serum liver enzymes, alanine transferase, aspartate transaminase and cholesterol levels were measured in 13 newly diagnosed obese children attending the endocrinology clinic of UPTH. Hip and waist circumference were measured and waist:hip ratio calculated.

Results: Males were smaller than females (weight 70.02 kg vs 74.66 kg, P=0.707 and BMI SDS; 30.95 kg/m² vs 33.82 kg/m²; P=0.782). Though males had wider waist circumference, 100.80 cm vs 95.37 cm, female had wider hips, 102 cm vs 100.60 cm but the differences were not significant. Seven (54%) children had ALT levels greater than the laboratory reference values, but no child had elevated AST and cholesterol. There was no significant difference in liver enzyme and cholesterol levels between the genders and between those with waist circumference <95th percentile and those >95th percentile. There was significant positive correlation between AST and waist hip ratio, BMI, cholesterol and BMI SDS.

Conclusion: Liver enzyme derangement was recorded in newly diagnosed obese children and there is positive correlation between AST and waist hip ratio.