Background: Obesity is a well-known risk factor of many pathologies, including cardiovascular and renal diseases. The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased markedly in an epidemic way over the past three decades, including a dramatic increase in overweight and obesity among adolescents.
Methods: This study is part of the Sopkard 15 programme-a comprehensive analysis of the overall health of middle school students in the age range between 14 and 15 years with particular emphasis on the risk factors of lifestyle diseases, including metabolic syndrome, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hypertension. Between 2006 and 2010, we examined 889 students (428 girls, 461 boys) 14 years old, and 26% of them attended classes with an extended sports curriculum. From the three separate blood pressure (BP) measurements a mean value of systolic and diastolic BP from the second and third measurements was taken into analysis. Body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and body fat mass calculated using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), albuminuria and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) estimated on the basis of serum creatinine according to Schwartz and abbreviated Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formula were explored.
Results: In the examined homogeneous population of adolescents, we found 8% of participants to be overweight and a further 8% of participants to be obese. An abnormal BMI was statistically significant and was more often present in girls compared with boys. WHtR values typical for abdominal obesity were reported in 17% of the population, significantly more often in girls 19.8 versus 12.4% in boys, P < 0.02. Albuminuria was detected in 16% of adolescents according to urinary albumin excretion (UAE) compared with 11% by an urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) method. A higher number of participants with elevated BP were observed to be statistically significant more often in subpopulations with overweight and obesity compared with adolescents with normal weight. The relationship between obesity and hypertension was also confirmed in participants with an increased WHtR. However, no significant relationship between weight disturbances (BMI), as well as abdominal obesity (WHtR), and albuminuria was identified.
Conclusions: Overweight and obesity are present in a significant proportion of adolescents from a general, healthy population of middle school students in the age of 14 years. This phenomenon is strictly connected to the presence of hypertension.
Keywords: adolescents; albuminuria; hypertension; obesity.