ESPE Abstracts

Background: Childhood obesity is one of the most important public health problems at 21st century. Obesity is an inflammatory process that leads to the impairment of health. Increasing prevalence of obesity will be a worldwide problem in the next generation, leading to serious health care and economical burden.

Objective and hypotheses: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between childhood obesity and erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein level.

Method: In this study, 49 obese children and adolescents (16 boys and 33 girls) between 8 and 18 years (mean age 12.4±2.6) were included. The control group was consisted of 24 age-matching (mean age 12.5±2.9) children and adolescents (non-obese and healty, 13 boys, 11 girls). BMI, above the 95th percentile for age and gender, was considered as obesity. In both groups, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured.

Results: Mean CRP level was significantly higher in the obese group than the control group (P=0.001) independent of age and gender. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (levels at 1 and 2 h) was not significantly different in the obese group than the control group (P>0.005).

Conclusion: Compared with overweight children, normal weigthed children had lower CRP levels. This study revealed a significant increase in CRP levels, while no difference in erythrocyte sedimentation rates in obese children. Measuring CRP levels in obese children is not a routine approach, but elevated levels of CRP can be an important marker of inflammatory process in obesity.