Association of Severe Obesity with the Metabolic Profile of Adolescents and Adults

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate, in adolescents and adults, the association of severe obesity with the extent of the metabolic changes shown.Methods: This is an observational comparative study with a population consisting of adolescents with severe obesity and adults with class III obesity. The patients underwent anthropometric, biochemical and clinical evaluations. We evaluated the lipid profile (total cholesterol, LDL-c, HDL-c and triglycerides), C-reactive protein (CRP) and fasting glucose. Insulin sensitivity was assessed by calculating the Homeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR). The evaluation of blood pressure was performed and the presence of hepatic steatosis (HS) by total abdomen ultrasound and metabolic syndrome (MS) were verified. Results:The sample consisted of 128 individuals: 60 adolescents (G1) and 68 adults (G2). There were no significant differences between the groups as regards weight, BMI and WC. HOMA-IR showed significant difference between the groups, with higher means (p = 0.000) and prevalence (p = 0.008) in G2. There was a trend of higher means of blood glucose in adults (p = 0.070). G1 featured larger percentages of all components of the lipid profile with significant differences. High prevalence of HS, MS, blood pressure and CRP were observed in both groups with no statistical differences between them. Conclusions:Adolescents were similar to adults in relation to the prevalence and severity of the anthropometric, clinical and metabolic changes analyzed. Such findings call attention to the effects of exposure to obesity in the progressive worsening of associated complications which can increase the chances of the emergence of cardiovascular diseases, increasingly early in the lives of individuals.