High‐sensitivity C‐reactive Protein is a Predictive Factor of Adiposity in Children: Results of the Identification and prevention of Dietary‐ and lifestyle‐induced health Effects in Children and InfantS (IDEFICS) Study

Abstract

BackgroundWhereas cross‐sectional studies have shown that obesity is associated with increased C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels in children, little is known about the impact of low‐grade inflammation on body mass changes during growth.Methods and ResultsWe assessed cross‐sectionally and longitudinally the association of high‐sensitivity (hs)‐CRP levels with overweight/obesity and related cardiometabolic risk factors in the Identification and prevention of Dietary‐ and lifestyle‐induced health Effects in Children and InfantS (IDEFICS) cohort. 16 224 children from 8 European countries (2 to 9 years) were recruited during the baseline survey (T0). After the exclusion of 7187 children because of missing hs‐CRP measurements and 2421 because of drug use during the previous week, the analysis was performed on 6616 children (Boys=3347; Girls=3269; age=6.3±1.7 years). Of them, 4110 were reexamined 2 years later (T1). Anthropometric variables, blood pressure, hs‐CRP, blood lipids, glucose and insulin were measured. The population at T0 was divided into 3 categories, according to the baseline hs‐CRP levels. Higher hs‐CRP levels were associated with significantly higher prevalence of overweight/obesity, body mass index (BMI) z‐score and central adiposity indices (P values all <0.0001), and with higher blood pressure and lower HDL‐cholesterol levels. Over the 2‐year follow‐up, higher baseline hs‐CRP levels were associated with a significant increase in BMI z‐score (P<0.001) and significantly higher risk of incident overweight/obesity.ConclusionsHigher hs‐CRP levels are associated to higher body mass and overweight/obesity risk in a large population of European children. Children with higher baseline levels of hs‐CRP had a greater increase in BMI z‐score and central adiposity over time and were at higher risk of developing overweight/obesity during growth.

C-reactive protein reference percentiles among pre-adolescent children in Europe based on the IDEFICS study population

“…Obesity A cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis relating CRP to overweight/obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors in European children of the IDEFICS project was recently published. 7 In agreement with numerous other studies, high CRP concentrations were positively associated with adiposity in children and adolescents as recently reviewed by Choi et al 4 A sensitivity analysis confirmed the effect of obesity on CRP levels in our study population as well.…”

“…6 An association between elevated CRP and markers for cardiovascular risk was reported in children as well. [7][8][9][10] In addition, increased CRP has been associated with cancer 11,12 and has shown to be a prognostic marker in various malignancies in adults, [13][14][15] whereas data in children are scarce. Furthermore, elevated CRP levels are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in adults 16 and are correlated with insulin resistance in children.…”

Lipoprotein (a) and Ultrasensitive C-Reactive Protein in Overweight Adolescents

“…Eight European countries, in 2013, showed correlation between the above markers. Even stratified by sex, which differs from the present study, the values for p were statistically significant (male: p = 0.000062; female: p = 0.001) [23]. In another study conducted in the same year, in the city of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), was evidenced similar association between the same markers, with values of r = 0.51 and p < 0.0001 [24].…”

Insufficient physical activity increases cardiovascular risk in women with low birth mass

“…The authors suggested that higher birth weight predicted higher risk of overweight and obesity in childhood and higher risk of CVD in adulthood [22]. This was confirmed by a study of European children aged 2-9 years, in whom significant positive correlations between serum hsCRP and BMI and abdominal obesity rates were observed [14].…”

“…Most published studies dealing with the relations between hsCRP and BBM as risk factors of CVD were performed in obese children or overweight and obese adults with a confirmed diagnosis of CVD [6,14]. Only a few publications of this topic included young women without a history of metabolic diseases.…”