Key result
Hepatic steatosis was strongly associated with metabolic syndrome in girls with overweight or obesity (OR 12.2; 95% CI 3.8-49.0), but not in boys (OR 0.7; 95% CI 0.2-2.7).
Why the study?
Is ectopic fat accumulation in liver and muscle associated with metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity?
Cross-Sectional (n=263)
Is ectopic fat accumulation in liver and muscle associated with metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity?
Odds Ratio: 12.2 (95% CI 3.8–49)
Ectopic fat accumulation in the liver and muscle is strongly associated with metabolic syndrome in girls with overweight and obesity, but not in boys, suggesting a sex-specific metabolic risk profile.
Sex-specific ectopic fat-MetS links in obese children warrant cautious interpretation; leaves open causal and interventional implications.
BACKGROUND: The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a complication to overweight and obesity, which can be observed already in childhood. Ectopic lipid accumulation in muscle and liver has been shown to associate with the development of insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. Thus, the interaction between MetS and ectopic fat may offer clinical relevance. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of MetS, or components hereof, and ectopic fat accumulation in liver and skeletal muscle tissue in children, as well as interactions between these. METHODS: Two-hundred-and-sixteen children and adolescents (95 boys) with overweight/obesity were investigated, as well as 47 controls (22 boys) with normal weight. The assessments included anthropometry, fasting blood biochemistry and blood pressure measurements. Liver and muscle lipid contents were assessed by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. RESULTS: We observed an odds ratio in girls with overweight/obesity of 12.2 (95% confidence interval: [3.8; 49.0]) for exhibiting MetS when hepatic steatosis was present, whereas no association was observed in boys with overweight/obesity (odds ratio 0.7 [0.2; 2.7]). The odds ratio of exhibiting MetS in the presence of muscular steatosis was 3.5 [1.4; 9.5] in girls with overweight/obesity and 1.0 [0.2; 5.6] in boys with overweight/obesity. Similar results were seen for girls with overweight/obesity exhibiting concurrent hepatic and muscular steatoses. CONCLUSION: Hepatic and muscular steatoses were associated with MetS among girls, but not among boys with overweight/obesity.
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Nissen et al. (2016) conducted a cross-sectional in Overweight and obesity (n=263). Hepatic and muscular steatosis vs. Absence of steatosis was evaluated on Metabolic syndrome (MetS) (OR 12.2, 95% CI 3.8-49.0). Hepatic steatosis was strongly associated with metabolic syndrome in girls with overweight or obesity (OR 12.2; 95% CI 3.8-49.0), but not in boys (OR 0.7; 95% CI 0.2-2.7).
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