Evaluation of facial soft-tissue values and craniofacial morphology in obese adolescent patients with different skeletal classes

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the facial soft tissue and craniofacial morphological structures in adolescent obese individuals with different skeletal patterns. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out on 292 adolescents examined under three groups based on their body mass indexes (BMIs) as obese, healthy, and overweight. The subjects were also categorized based on skeletal classes as Class I, Class II, and Class III. Results: The glabella, nasion, labiale inferius, labiomentale, and pogonion values of the female patients were significantly higher in obese group. In the obese and overweight groups, effective midfacial and mandibular length, anterior and posterior facial heights, and SN values of the females were higher than males. In the obese group, the mean effective midfacial and mandibular length (Co-A and Co-Gn), anterior and posterior facial heights (S-Go and N-Me), and anterior cranial base (SN) values were significantly higher than other groups. Conclusion: Soft-tissue thicknesses increase as BMI value increases. Craniofacial morphology reveals significant differences between BMI groups.

High Prevalence of Subnormal Testosterone in Obese Adolescent Males: Reversal with Bariatric Surgery

Objective: Obesity in adolescent males is associated with lowering of total and free testosterone concentrations. Weight loss may increase testosterone concentrations. Design and Methods: We evaluated changes in sex hormones following bariatric surgery in 34 males (age range 14.6 – 19.8 years) with obesity. These participants were part of prospective multicenter study, Teen-Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (Teen-LABS). Participants were followed for five years after surgery. Total testosterone, total estradiol, LH, FSH, SHBG, CRP, insulin and glucose were measured at baseline, six months and annually thereafter. Free testosterone, free estradiol and HOMA2-IR were calculated. Results: Study participants lost one-third of their body weight after bariatric surgery, with maximum weight loss achieved at 24 months for most participants. Free testosterone increased from 0.17 nmol/L(95% CI: 0.13, 0.20) at baseline to 0.34 (95% CI: 0.30, 0.38) at two years and 0.27(95% CI: 0.23, 0.32) nmol/L at five years (p<0.001 for both) respectively. Total testosterone increased from 6.7 nmol/L (95% CI: 4.7, 8.8) at baseline to 17.6(95% CI: 15.3, 19.9) and 13.8(95% CI: 11.0, 16.5) nmol/L at two and five years(p<0.001). Prior to surgery 73% of the participants had subnormal free testosterone(<0.23 nmol/L). After two years and five years, only 20% and 33%, respectively, had subnormal free testosterone concentrations. Weight regain was related to a fall in free testosterone concentrations. Conclusions: Bariatric surgery led to a robust increase in testosterone concentrations in adolescent males with severe obesity. Participants who regained weight had a decline in their testosterone concentrations.

The Impact of Rope Jump Exercise Training on Hemolytic Anemia Parameters in Obese Adolescent Boys

Background: One of the theories about hemolytic anemia concerns foot-strike on the ground. Rope jump exercise training (RJET) is performed with high foot-strike repetitions on the ground. Objectives: This paper aimed to study the possible effect of RJET on hematological parameters involved in hemolysis. Methods: Twenty obese adolescent boys with a mean age of 13.40 ± 1.09 years were allocated into two equal groups of control and RJET (n = 10 each). The RJET group performed simple rope jumping for eight weeks (three days a week). Blood samples were collected before and after the protocol. Independent t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for data analysis. Results: Our findings showed no significant inter-group differences for erythrocyte, platelet, and leukocyte parameters. However, given the effect of time, a significant reduction was observed in monocyte count in the RJET group. In contrast, eosinophil count significantly increased after RJET. Conclusions: According to the results, foot striking induced by RJET had no adverse effect on hemolytic anemia in obese adolescent boys.

Interval Training with Different Intensities in Overweight/Obese Adolescent Females

To compare the effects of 12 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) versus moderate-intensity interval training (MIIT) on hematological and inflammatory markers in youth females, 38 overweight/obese females (16.4±1.0 yrs.) were randomly assigned to HIIT (2×6–8 repetitions of 30 s at 100–110% maximal aerobic speed (MAS), with 30 s active recovery between repetitions at 50% MAS; n=13), MIIT (2×6–8 repetitions of 30 s at 70–80% MAS, with 30 s active recovery between repetitions at 50% MAS; n=13), and a control group (CG, no intervention; n=12). Body composition, blood pressure, maximal heart rate, hematological and inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein [CRP], and erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR]) markers were assessed in all groups before and following the training program. Results revealed a significant (P<0.05) interaction effect for body composition, systolic blood pressure (SBP), MAS, maximal heart rate, and CRP. Within-group analyses for the HIIT and MIIT groups showed significant improvements in body mass (P=0.009 and P=0.025, respectively), BMI Z-score (P=0.011 and P=0.028, respectively), and MAS (P<0.001 and P=0.011, respectively). The HIIT program showed a significant decrease in body fat (P=0.002), waist circumference (P=0.002), maximal heart rate (P=0.003), SBP (P=0.001), and plasma CRP (P=0.004). In both groups, no significant changes were observed in ESR and hematological markers after intervention. No variable changed in CG. HIIT was the effective method to manage cardiometabolic health and inflammatory disorders in obese youth.

Acute Interval and Continuous Moderate Intensity Exercise Enhanced Circadian Thermogenic Activity through Browning related Genes in Obese Adolescent Female

Thermogenesis is associated with oxidation activity in muscle and fat tissue, the target of non-pharmacological therapy in preventing the increase in obesity. This research was designed to reveal the circadian profile of thermogenic gene expression after the acute interval and continuous moderate-intensity exercise. The subjects were 22 randomly selected obese adolescent females who met the predetermined inclusion criteria. The study subjects were then divided into three groups: control group (CG), acute interval moderate-intensity exercise group (AIMIE), and acute continuous moderate-intensity exercise group (ACMIE). Acute interval and continuous exercise were performed by running on a treadmill for 40-45 minutes, while moderate-intensity was defined as 60%-70% of the maximum heart rate (HRmax). The blood samples were collected initially (pre-exercise), followed by 10 minutes, 6 hours, and 24 hours post-acute interval and continuous moderate-intensity exercise treatment. Measurement of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α) and fibronectin type III domain 5 (FNDC-5) expressions in protein level were confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Data were analyzed using one way-ANOVA and two way-ANOVA with a significant level of 5%. The findings suggest a substantial increase in the expression of PGC-1α and FNDC-5 after exercise compared to before the workout. A significant difference in PGC-1α and FNDC-5 expressions between the control group compared to AIMIE and ACMIE (p ≤ 0.05) has been observed. However, there is no significant difference in PGC-1α and FNDC-5 expressions after exercise between AIMIE and ACMIE (p ≥ 0.05). In conclusion, acute interval and continuous moderate-intensity exercise increase the expression of thermogenesis-related genes. Hence, acute interval and continuous moderate-intensity exercise might be potential non-pharmacological therapy to prevent, reduce, and control the increasing prevalence of obesity.

The Combined Effects of 6 Weeks of Jump Rope Interval Exercise and Dark Chocolate Consumption on Antioxidant Markers in Obese Adolescent Boys

Research has shown that both dark chocolate and exercise training may have favorable effects on antioxidant function in obese cohorts. However, their combined effect has not been established. We assessed the influences of six weeks of dark chocolate consumption combined with jump rope exercise on antioxidant markers in adolescent boys with obesity. Fifty adolescent boys with obesity (age = 15 ± 1 years) were randomly assigned into one of four groups; jump rope exercise + white chocolate consumption (JW; n = 13), jump rope exercise + dark chocolate consumption (JD; n = 13), dark chocolate consumption (DC; n = 12), or control (C; n = 12). Two participants dropped out of the study. Participants in JW and JD groups performed jump rope exercise three times per week for six weeks. Participants in the DC and JD groups consumed 30 g of dark chocolate containing 83% of cocoa during the same period. Serum concentrations of superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were evaluated prior to and after the interventions. All 3 intervention groups noted significant (p < 0.01) increases in serum concentrations of TAC, SOD, and GPx from baseline to post-test. In contrast, all intervention groups showed significantly reduced serum concentrations of TBARS from pre- to post-test (p ≤ 0.01). Bonferroni post hoc analysis revealed that post-test serum concentrations of TAC in the JD group were significantly greater than C (p < 0.001), DC (p = 0.010), and JW (p < 0.001) groups. In addition, post-test serum concentrations of SOD in the JD group were significantly greater than C group (p = 0.001). Post-test serum concentrations of GPx in the JD group were significantly greater than C (p < 0.001), DC (p = 0.021), and JW (p = 0.032) groups. The post-test serum concentrations of TBARS in the JD group was significantly lower than C (p < 0.001). No other significant between-group differences were observed. The current study provides evidence that dark chocolate consumption in combination with jump rope exercise is more efficient in improving antioxidant capacity than dark chocolate consumption or jump rope exercise alone among obese adolescent boys.

Lipidomic profiling reveals distinct differences in plasma lipid composition in overweight or obese adolescent students

Introduction The relationship between dyslipidemia and obesity has been widely reported, but the global lipid profiles associated with the development of obesity still need to be clarified. An investigation into the association between the lipidomic plasma profile and adolescent obesity may provide new insights into the development of obesity. Methods Mass spectrometry coupled with liquid chromatography was applied to detect the global lipidome in the fasting plasma from 90 Chinese adolescents, including 34 obese adolescents, 26 overweight adolescents, and 30 adolescents with a normal body mass index (BMI). All participants underwent anthropometric measurements by using InBody. Clinical biochemical indicators were measured by Cobas Elecsys. Results Both qualitative and quantitative analyses revealed a gradual change in plasma lipid features among obese students, exhibiting characteristics close to overweight students, but differing significantly from normal students. Compared with normal and overweight students, levels of triglyceride (TG), 18-hydroxycortisol, isohumulinone A, and 11-dihydro-12-norneoquassin were up-regulated in the obese group, while phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), lysoPC (LPC), lysoPE (LPE), and phosphatidylinositol (PI) were significantly down-regulated in the obese group. Then, we conducted Venn diagrams and selected 8 significant metabolites from the 3 paired comparisons. Most of the selected features were significantly correlated with the anthropometric measurements. Conclusions This study demonstrated evidence for a relationship between the eight significant metabolites with obese adolescents. These lipid features may provide a basis for evaluating risk and monitoring the development of obesity.

Normotensive or Hypertensive: Adolescent Female with Headache; A Case Report

Background Ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitoring became a method of choice for the diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of arterial hypertension in adult and pediatric patients. BP load is defined as the percentage of valid BP readings above the ambulatory 95th percentile for both SBP and DBP during the entire 24-hour awake and sleep periods. BP loads in excess of 25% are generally considered abnormal, with increased loads associated with LVH). Masked hypertension (MH) is defined as normal OBP(&lt;95th percentile) but elevated ambulatory BP levels (&gt;95th percentile). Case Presentation This case report describes a case of an obese adolescent female complaining of chronic headache, referred for evaluation of possible hypertension, after exclusion of other organic causes of her symptom. Her office blood pressure (OBP) was normal so ABP monitoring was suggested for possible masked hypertension. Results The BPLab ABP was provided for the patient from 8 AM to 8 AM in the next day. It revealed that The 24 systolic ABP was 119Hg (75th percentile), The 24 diastolic ABP was 64 (50th percentile), daytime systolic ABP was 124 (75th percentile), nighttime systolic ABP was110(75th percentile), daytime diastolic ABP was 67(50th percentile), nighttime diastolic ABP was 58 (75th percentile). BP load was 53%. Nocturnal BP dipping was normal for both systolic and diastolic BP (16% and 19%, respectively). Conclusion High blood pressure load detected by ABP monitoring could be a sign of masked hypertension especially if associated with cardiovascular risk factors like obesity.

Investigation of quality of life in obese adolescents: the effect of psychiatric symptoms of obese adolescent and/or mother on quality of life

Objectives The present study assessed the obese adolescents’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL) based on both adolescent-reported and maternal-reported questionnaires to clarify adolescent-related psychiatric factors, maternal psychiatric factors, and body mass index (BMI) percentile variables that independently affect the quality of life (QoL). Methods A total of 190 adolescents (120 females and 70 males) were included in the study. The impact of clinical and psychiatric factors on the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory-Child Version (PedsQL-C) scores was analyzed using hierarchical linear regression methods. Results The final models showed that only the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Child Version major depressive disorder scores negatively predicted the physical, psychosocial, and total health scores of the PedsQL-C. The psychosocial scores of the PedsQL-P were negatively predicted by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire emotional, and Conners’ Parent Rating Scale-Revised-Short Form (CPRS-R-S) attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) index scores. The PedsQL-P total scores were negatively predicted by the CPRS-R-S ADHD index scores. Conclusions The findings of this study indicate that the adolescents’ psychiatric symptoms and BMI percentile played a significant role in the PedsQL subscale functioning of obese adolescents compared to maternal psychiatric symptoms.