ESPE Abstracts

Background: It is used to define body weight status in children and adolescents using age- and gender-corrected for BMI-SDS. Also excess body weight (EBW) is increasingly applicable to children and adolescents (BMI 99-th percentile). BMI seems to be informative for the severity of obesity, but not for relevant risks of dyslipidaemia.

Objective and hypotheses: To reveal the potential connections between absolute levels of lipids and BMI, as well as several associated disorders.

Method: 34 children and adolescents with obesity and EBW (99%.) were included in the investigation with average age of 11.31 years, male/female ratio was 20/14. HOMA index of insulin resistance, as well as the levels of insulin, pro-insulin, thyroid status, lipids were measured. Dyslipidaemia was defined as abnormal levels of more than two lipid fractions.

Results: No any correlation has been found between absolute levels of lipid fractions and BMI (r<0.02). Also there were no significant connection of dyslipidaemia with gynecomastia, steatohepatosis, hypothyroidism, sex, and pubertal delay (P>0.05). Interestingly in 70.6% of investigated patients the insulin resistance and hyperisulinaemia were found, 91.7% from which had statistically significant dyslipidemia (P<0.05) without sex predominance. Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinaemia positively associated to BMI-SDS>2.5.

Conclusion: Hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance are connected with severity of obesity (BMI-SDS>2.5) and are mostly associated with dyslipidaemia in obese children and adolescents. We assume that there are marginal lipids’ levels above which the BMI doesn’t have interaction on them or other regulator mechanisms are triggered. Further investigations should be done to evaluate the relationships between other associated endocrine and somatic disorders and hyperinsulinaemia and/or insulin resistance and BMI severity in obese children and adolescents.