1432 Children and Obesity - How Severe is the Problem?

Introduction Childhood is more ofen nowadays confronting with a different pathology, specific to adulthood like obesity, diabetes mellitus, essential hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. The prevalence of these diseases is rising and cardiovascular risk factors are present even in children and the key is represented by the process of atherosclerosis. Objective The aim of our study is to determine the presence of cardiovascular risk factors in childhood and if there is any evidence of atherosclerosis effects on the vessels. Material and method The study had included 80 children, boys and girls, aged between 10 and 18 years. All of the children had obesity. The protocol of investigations had consisted in: blood pressure measurement (BP), body mass index calculation (BMI), blood levels of glucose, oral test of glucose tolerance, cholesterol, tryglycerides, low density lipoproteins, high density lipoproteins, echocardiography and measurement of the mass of the left ventricle, Doppler ecograpy of the common carotid artery and measurement of the intima-media thickness (IMTc) as a evidence of the atherosclerotic process. Results We had found a stong and positive correlation between IMTc and BMI, systolic BP, the level of total cholesterol, tryglycerides and a negative correlation with the level of high density lipoproteins. All the subjects had had impairment of the oral test of glucose tolerance. Conclusions The rising incidence of obesity in children is a reality. It is strongly connected with the atherosclerosis and its consequences, like early structural changes of artery, even in childhood, and therefore prevention should be a priority.