CHAPEL HILL, N.C.—Obese children as young as age 3 have elevated levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation that in adults is considered an early warning sign for possible future heart disease, according to a new study from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers. The study also found elevated levels of two other inflammatory markers—the ratio of ferritin/transferrin saturation (F/T) and the absolute neutrophil count (ANC)—in obese children. Elevated F/T levels started at age 6 and elevated ANC levels were found starting at age 9.
“These findings were a surprise to us,” said lead author Asheley Cockrell Skinner, PhD, an assistant professor of pediatrics in the UNC School of Medicine. “We’re seeing a relationship between weight status and elevated inflammatory markers much earlier than we expected. Most adults understand that being overweight or obese isn’t good for them, but not as many people realize that it may be unhealthy for young children to be overweight.”
Researchers analyzed data from 16,335 children ages 1 to 17 years, who were grouped into four categories based on their body mass index (BMI)—healthy weight, overweight, obese and very obese. Under the scheme, a 3.5-year-old who is 39 inches tall and weighs 34 pounds would be in the healthy weight category while a child of the same age and height weighing 43 pounds would be considered very obese. In the group of children analyzed, nearly 70 percent were healthy weight, 15 percent were overweight, 11 percent were obese and 3.5 percent were very obese.
Among very obese children ages 3 to 5 years, more than 40 percent (42.5 percent) had elevated CRP compared to only approximately 17 percent of healthy weight children. Among older children the difference was even more pronounced. In ages 15 to 17 years, 83 percent of the very obese had elevated CRP compared to 18 percent of the healthy weight.
The study concluded that weight status and elevated inflammatory markers are strongly related, even in young children, and further research should examine the impact of long-term, low-grade inflammation in overweight and obese children.
