Traditional and novel cardiometabolic risk markers across strata of body mass index in young adults

Abstract

Background Cardiometabolic risk increases with increasing body mass index (BMI). The exact mechanism is poorly understood, and traditional risk assessment of young adults with obesity has shown to be ineffective. Greater knowledge about potential new effective biomarkers and the use of advanced cardiac imaging for risk assessment in young adults is, therefore, necessary. Objective This study aims to explore traditional and novel cardiometabolic risk markers across strata of BMI in young adults. Methods Participants (N = 264, 50% women, age 28–30 years) were invited from an ongoing cohort study, based on BMI and sex. BMI‐strata were: BMI <25, 25–30, >30 kg/m2, representing normal weight (NW), overweight (OW), and obesity (OB). Participants underwent cardiac computed tomography to detect coronary artery calcification, measures of body composition, blood pressure measurements, and a comprehensive panel of circulating cardiometabolic risk markers. Results No significant coronary artery calcifications were detected in this study. Minor differences in median levels of traditional risk markers were detected across BMI‐strata, for example, total cholesterol (men‐ NW: 4.7 (4.3–5.1) and OB: 4.8 (4.2–5.6) mmol/L, p = 0.58; women‐ NW: 4.3 (3.9–4.8) and OB: 4.7 (4.2–5.3) mmol/L, p = 0.016), whereas substantial differences were seen in markers of inflammation and glucose metabolism, for example, high sensitive CRP (men‐ NW: 0.6 (0.3–1.1) and OB: 2.8 (1.5–4.0) mg/L, p < 0.001; women‐ NW: 0.7 (0.3–1.7) and OB: 4.0 (2.2–7.8) mg/L, p < 0.001) and insulin (men‐ NW: 47.0 (35.0–59.0) and OB: 113.5 (72.0–151.0) pmol/L, p < 0.001; women‐ NW: 44.0 (35.0–60.0) and OB: 84.5 (60.0–126.0) pmol/L, p < 0.001). Conclusion In young adults, obesity is associated with an early onset insulin resistance and inflammatory response prior to development of coronary artery calcification and deterioration of lipid profiles.

Evaluating the association between socioeconomic position and cardiometabolic risk markers in young adulthood by different life course models

“…We applied probability weights in all regression-analyses and to the outcome measure to account for the sampling by sex and BMI-group. Respondents to the questionnaires and participants in the health examination had higher SEP as compared to the source population [ 27 , 42 ]. Unfortunately, it is not possible to know whether this selection was associated with cardiometabolic health and thus inducing differential selection bias.…”

“…The health examinations were performed from April 2018 to December 2019 [ 27 ]. Fasting blood samples were analysed at the central laboratory, Aarhus University Hospital and supplemented with Interleukin-6 analysed at BioXpedia (Aarhus, Denmark) using Meso Scale Diagnostics Technology V-plex human pro-inflammatory panel 1.…”

Body Mass Index Is Independently Associated with the Presence of Ischemia in Myocardial Perfusion Imaging

“…Cardiovascular complications such as the development of CAD in obese patients are probably multifactorial. For example, obese individuals may develop type II diabetes mellitus due to insulin resistance [ 36 , 37 ], followed later by adverse lipid profiles, eventually leading to CAD or other severe cardiovascular complications [ 38 , 39 ]. However, even though obese individuals are more prone to CAD, there have been reports of better prognosis in patients with high BMI after coronary artery occlusion or acute myocardial infarction [ 40 , 41 ].…”

Childhood socioeconomic position and cardiometabolic risk in young adulthood- the impact of mental health

“…This study included a sub-sample (n = 259) of participants from the ongoing West Jutland Cohort Study [ 16 ]. The cohort study comprised all individuals born in 1989 and living in a specific county in Western Denmark in 2004 (N = 3,681) [ 17 ].…”