Sex-Dependent Dyslipidemia and Neuro-Humoral Alterations Leading to Further Cardiovascular Risk in Juvenile Obesity.

Childhood obesity is a growing concern as the World Health Organization (WHO) states that ~10% of adolescents worldwide are overweight or obese. This condition is the reflex of energy imbalance between the calories consumed and those expended. Sex-related responses associated with dyslipidemia, hormonal alterations, and neuro-humoral disruptions in childhood obesity are the focus of the present investigation. Ninety-two Brazilian adolescents were enrolled and divided between obese and eutrophic groups. Obesity was assessed using body mass index Z-score according to age and weight. Anthropometrical analyses, blood pressure, blood lipids, metabolism-regulating hormones, and neuropeptides were carried out. Systolic blood pressure was higher in female and male patients with obesity. Obese females presented alterations in lipid profile and an augment of cardiovascular disease prediction ratios TC/HDL, TG/HDL, LDL/HDL, and VLDL/HDL. The levels of leptin, GIP, and neuropeptide showed sex-dimorphism in obesity. The obese adolescents presented increased levels of circulating insulin, c-peptide, amylin, glucagon, and GLP-1. Correlation analysis showed significant linearity between body mass index, blood pressure, lipids, lipoproteins, hormones, and neuropeptides content. Our data support an existing link associating hypertension, dyslipidemia, and neuro-hormonal imbalance in childhood obesity. We also described a sex-dependent pattern in childhood obesity-associated dyslipidemia and blood pressure in female patients with obesity solely.