The association between vitamin B12, folate, homocysteine levels, and carotid intima-media thickness in children with obesity: a cross-sectional study
Abstract
Objectives
We aimed to evaluate the association between vitamin B12, folate, homocysteine levels, and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) among children with obesity in whom vitamin deficiencies are more frequent.
Methods
Herein, 100 children with obesity (58 girls) were included (age, 5–18 years). Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), puberty stage, blood pressure, and biochemical values were collected from medical records; standard deviations (SDS) and percentiles were calculated. Obesity was defined as BMI SDS of >+2SDS. Vitamin B12 and folate levels of <300 pg/mL and <4.8 ng/mL, respectively, were considered deficient. A radiologist quantified measurements from the carotid artery.
Results
Mean patient age was 12.52 ± 3.63 years. The mean weight SDS, BMI SDS, and WC/height were +3.37 ± 0.93, +2.93 ± 0.55, and 0.65 ± 0.05, respectively. In pubertal cases, insulin (p<0.001), the homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (p=0.001) and homocysteine (p=0.002) levels were higher; vitamin B12 (p<0.001) and folate (p<0.001) levels were lower than those in prepubertal ones. WC and HOMA-IR correlated with CIMT; however, homocysteine levels were not correlated with CIMT.
Conclusions
In our study, pubertal cases had lower vitamin B12 and folate levels as well as higher homocysteine levels. Although no correlation was identified between homocysteine levels and CIMT, this condition may be related to our study group comprising children, who had a shorter duration of obesity than those in adults. As CIMT was higher in children/adolescents with increased WC, it is proposed that they need central obesity more frequently and carefully follow-up.
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Research funding: None declared.
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Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
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Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.
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Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.
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Ethical approval: The Ethics Committee of the Hospital approved the study (2021/514/210/10).
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© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Review Article
- Effects of vitamin D supplementation on glycemic control of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review
- Original Articles
- A preliminary study on the relationship between environmental endocrine disruptors and precocious puberty in girls
- Tissue concentration of aldosterone in fetal adrenals of intrauterine death cases
- Complications of orthopedic treatment in patients diagnosed with X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets
- Comparison of insulin sensitivity indices for detection of double diabetes in Indian adolescents with type 1 diabetes
- Evaluation of the growth and nutritional status of preschool children: a pilot study in the cold area of China
- Arterial hypertension is associated with an increased risk of metabolic complications in pediatric patient with obesity
- From pregnancy to breastfeeding: adequate maternal body mass index is essential to prevent a high body mass index in your children
- Screening of non-syndromic early-onset child and adolescent obese patients in terms of LEP, LEPR, MC4R and POMC gene variants by next-generation sequencing
- The association between vitamin B12, folate, homocysteine levels, and carotid intima-media thickness in children with obesity: a cross-sectional study
- Comprehensive assessment of cardiovascular disease risk in children with short stature due to isolated growth hormone deficiency: a case-control study
- Visceral adiposity is related to insulin sensitivity and inflammation in adolescents with obesity and mild sleep disordered breathing
- Recurrent hypoglycemic seizure as a presenting symptom of post-TBI hypopituitarism in children: a case report, review and proposed protocol
- Evaluation of the etiological and clinical characteristics of pediatric central diabetes insipidus
- Case Reports
- Clinical and radiologic evaluation of a Turkish family with hypochondroplasia and a rare FGFR3 variant
- Rituximab therapy in ROHHAD(NET) syndrome
- Ectopic parathyroid hormone as a rare aetiology of hypercalcemia with rhabdomyosarcoma: a new treatment strategy with zoledronic acid and Denosumab
- A 2-bp deletion mutation in SMPD1 gene leading to lysosomal acid sphingomyelinase deficiency in a Chinese consanguineous pedigree
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Review Article
- Effects of vitamin D supplementation on glycemic control of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review
- Original Articles
- A preliminary study on the relationship between environmental endocrine disruptors and precocious puberty in girls
- Tissue concentration of aldosterone in fetal adrenals of intrauterine death cases
- Complications of orthopedic treatment in patients diagnosed with X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets
- Comparison of insulin sensitivity indices for detection of double diabetes in Indian adolescents with type 1 diabetes
- Evaluation of the growth and nutritional status of preschool children: a pilot study in the cold area of China
- Arterial hypertension is associated with an increased risk of metabolic complications in pediatric patient with obesity
- From pregnancy to breastfeeding: adequate maternal body mass index is essential to prevent a high body mass index in your children
- Screening of non-syndromic early-onset child and adolescent obese patients in terms of LEP, LEPR, MC4R and POMC gene variants by next-generation sequencing
- The association between vitamin B12, folate, homocysteine levels, and carotid intima-media thickness in children with obesity: a cross-sectional study
- Comprehensive assessment of cardiovascular disease risk in children with short stature due to isolated growth hormone deficiency: a case-control study
- Visceral adiposity is related to insulin sensitivity and inflammation in adolescents with obesity and mild sleep disordered breathing
- Recurrent hypoglycemic seizure as a presenting symptom of post-TBI hypopituitarism in children: a case report, review and proposed protocol
- Evaluation of the etiological and clinical characteristics of pediatric central diabetes insipidus
- Case Reports
- Clinical and radiologic evaluation of a Turkish family with hypochondroplasia and a rare FGFR3 variant
- Rituximab therapy in ROHHAD(NET) syndrome
- Ectopic parathyroid hormone as a rare aetiology of hypercalcemia with rhabdomyosarcoma: a new treatment strategy with zoledronic acid and Denosumab
- A 2-bp deletion mutation in SMPD1 gene leading to lysosomal acid sphingomyelinase deficiency in a Chinese consanguineous pedigree