Demographic, Clinical and Laboratory Parameters among Obese Children with Different Glycemic Status
TL;DR
Obese children with prediabetes and diabetes exhibit significantly higher BMI, waist circumference, fasting insulin levels, and HOMA-IR values than euglycemic obese children.
Abstract
Background: Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern worldwide and is strongly associated with insulin resistance, impaired glucose metabolism, and cardiometabolic complications. Data regarding glycemic status and insulin resistance among obese Bangladeshi children remain limited. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters of obese children according to glycemic status. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Paediatric Endocrinology Division, Department of Paediadtrics, Bangladesh Medical University (former BSMMU), from 2021 to 2022. A total of 150 newly diagnosed obese children aged 6–18 years were enrolled using purposive sampling. Participants were categorized into euglycemia, prediabetes, and diabetes mellitus (DM) groups. Statistical analyses were performed using ANOVA and Chi-square tests, with p<0.05 considered significant. Results: Among 150 obese children, 100 (66.7%) had euglycemia, 43 (28.7%) had prediabetes, and 7 (4.7%) had diabetes mellitus. Mean BMI increased significantly from the euglycemia group (26.4±2.6 kg/m²) to the prediabetes group (28.1±2.9 kg/m²) and DM group (32.3±3.4 kg/m²) (p<0.001). Waist circumference was significantly higher among children with abnormal glycemic status (p=0.015). Laboratory parameters demonstrated progressive metabolic deterioration across glycemic categories. Mean fasting insulin levels were 15.86±5.07, 23.91±6.62, and 35.96±11.36 μU/mL in the euglycemia, prediabetes, and DM groups, respectively (p<0.001). Similarly, mean HOMA-IR values increased significantly from 3.32±0.93 in the euglycemia group to 4.86±1.69 in the prediabetes group and 13.71±5.44 in the DM group (p<0.001). Significant differences were also observed in FBS, OGTT glucose level, and HbA1c among the groups (all p<0.001). Conclusion: Obese children with prediabetes and diabetes exhibit significantly higher BMI, waist circumference, fasting insulin levels, and HOMA-IR values than euglycemic obese children.