Childhood obesity associated with increased risk for premature death

January 01, 0001

Childhood obesity associated with increased risk for premature death

These authors from multiple countries conducted a cohort study of 4857 American Indian children without diabetes (mean age, 11.3 years) who were born between 1945 and 1984. They assessed whether body-mass index (BMI), glucose tolerance, and blood pressure and cholesterol levels predicted premature death before 55 years of age.

They found: "There were 166 deaths from endogenous causes (3.4% of the cohort) during a median follow-up period of 23.9 years. Rates of death from endogenous causes among children in the highest quartile of BMI were more than double those among children in the lowest BMI quartile (incidence-rate ratio 2.30). Rates of death from endogenous causes among children in the highest quartile of glucose intolerance were 73% higher than those among children in the lowest quartile (incidence-rate ratio 1.73). No significant associations were seen between rates of death from endogenous or external causes and childhood cholesterol levels or systolic or diastolic blood- pressure levels on a continuous scale, although childhood hypertension was significantly associated with premature death from endogenous causes (incidence-rate ratio 1.57)."

The authors concluded: "Obesity, glucose intolerance, and hypertension in childhood were strongly associated with increased rates of premature death from endogenous causes in this population. In contrast, childhood hypercholesterolemia was not a major predictor of premature death from endogenous causes."

It would be helpful to know to what extent these findings can be generalized to children of other population groups.

For the full abstract, click here.

N Engl J Med 362(6):485-493, 11 February 2010 © 2010 to the Massachusetts Medical Society
Childhood Obesity, Other Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and Premature Death. Paul W. Franks, Robert L. Hanson, William C. Knowler, et al.. Correspondence to Dr. Franks: [email protected]

Category: T. Endocrine/Metabolic/Nutritional, K. Circulatory. Keywords: children, premature death, obesity, glucose tolerance, blood pressure, cohort study, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Linda French, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 2 March 2010

Pearls are an independent product of the Cochrane primary care group and are meant for educational use and not to guide clinical care.

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