Obesity among adolescent Filipino children a correlation with fasting serum insulin concentration / Marvin Mata, Virginia Parungao-Crisostomo

OBJECTIVES. To determine the correlation of clinical parameters among Obese and Non-Obese Filipino adolescents (10-20 years) with Fasting Serum Insulin concentration. DESIGN. Hybrid designs, follow up prevalence study. SETTING. De La Salle University Medical Center. PATIENTS. The population includes adolescent pediatric aged 10-20 years of age both obese and non-obese seen as on outpatient basis either private or service as well as referrals from other departments. Excluded were patients with evidence of endocrine or metabolic disease other than obesity, patients with rapid change in weight (increase or decrease) for at least three months before the study. METHODS. The subjects were divided into two groups: obese and non-obese. Demographic and anthropometric measurements between them were compared by means of students T-test and Chi-square. The same was done with the mean laboratory variables. The relation between serum insulin and BMI was then further evaluated by linear regression whereas that between serum insulin and acanthosis nigricans was done through Spearman Rank correlation test. RESULTS. There was significantly higher mean weight, percent ideal body weight, BMI, baseline systolic and diastolic blood pressure, striae, serum insulin concentration and fasting blood glucose. Those with family history of obesity were 7x at risk to become obese. There was significant difference in the appearance of striae and acanthosis nigricans between the two groups. Using linear regression, serum insulin was determined to have a linear relation with BMI. On Spearman correlation test, serum insulin concentrations was significantly correlated with the degree of severity of acanthosis nigricans. CONCLUSION. Our data suggest that the obesity has significant correlation with hyperinsulinism.

Nutrition.