Wang Xiao-Yue, Zhang Xiang-Hua, Yao Chao Hua, Zhu Hong-Hui, Zhang Liang
Departments of Endocrinology, the First People's Hospital, 39 Dongmaoling Road, Yueyang 414000, Hunan, China.
Palmer Laboratory of Cell & Molecular Biology, PCCR, Palmer College of Chiropractic-Florida, 4705 S. Clyde Morris Blvd, Port Orange, FL 32129, USA.
J Clin Med. 2014 Mar 20;3(1):323-33. doi: 10.3390/jcm3010323.
The Chinese inland, where low child obesity and overweight rates were reported in earlier studies, has recently experienced rapid economy changes. This may impact children's health. In the present study, we investigated the obesity rate, metabolic health status, and their impacts on carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among children from Yueyang, an inland city of China. We found that the obesity rate was about 5% for both 7- and 11-year olds. Overweightness rates were 9.5% and 11.5% for the 7- and 11-year olds, respectively. Clinical and laboratory examinations revealed significant differences among different weight groups in the 11-year old volunteers, which were absent in the 7-year olds. Further statistical analysis showed that: age, BMI, blood pressure, triglyceride level, and metabolic abnormality were positively correlated to carotid IMT; triglyceride level, obesity, male, and the number of metabolic abnormalities were independent risk factors for NAFLD in these children. Our study suggests that: childhood overweightness and obesity are now epidemic in Yueyang, which have contributed to increased carotid IMT and may also increased NAFLD incidents; and serum triglyceride level is a critical factor in the development of childhood NAFLD. Thus, childhood metabolic health warrants further vigorous research in the inland of China.
中国内陆地区，早期研究报告显示儿童肥胖和超重率较低，但最近经历了快速的经济变化。这可能会影响儿童健康。在本研究中，我们调查了中国内陆城市岳阳儿童的肥胖率、代谢健康状况及其对颈动脉内膜中层厚度（IMT）和非酒精性脂肪性肝病（NAFLD）的影响。我们发现，7岁和11岁儿童的肥胖率均约为5%。7岁和11岁儿童的超重率分别为9.5%和11.5%。临床和实验室检查显示，11岁志愿者不同体重组之间存在显著差异，而7岁儿童中不存在这些差异。进一步的统计分析表明：年龄、BMI、血压、甘油三酯水平和代谢异常与颈动脉IMT呈正相关；甘油三酯水平、肥胖、男性以及代谢异常的数量是这些儿童患NAFLD的独立危险因素。我们的研究表明：儿童超重和肥胖在岳阳现已流行，这导致颈动脉IMT增加，也可能增加NAFLD的发病率；血清甘油三酯水平是儿童NAFLD发展的关键因素。因此，儿童代谢健康在中国内陆地区值得进一步深入研究。
