Assessing Iron Deficiency Anemia in Obese Adolescents and Identifying Contributing Factors

Year 2024, Volume: 18 Issue: 3, 186 - 191, 13.05.2024

Şeyma Kılınç , Alkım Öden Akman , Tülin Şaylı

https://doi.org/10.12956/tchd.1416473

Abstract

Objective: Obesity and iron deficiency, which are public health problems that maintain their prevalence and for which the adolescent population is particularly at risk, may have important clinical consequences. This study aimed to assess the iron parameters and blood vitamin B12 levels in obese adolescents and identify the contributing variables to the development of anemia.

Material and Methods: The present study involved a retrospective evaluation of 260 children (130 obese-130 control) who were admitted to the Ankara Children’s Haematology Oncology Training and Research Hospital, Pediatric Outpatient Clinics, between March 2013 and May 2015. Children aged 12 to 18 years without acute or chronic illnesses and body mass index (BMI) above the 95th percentile for age and gender were required for inclusion in the study group. Data from patient files were used to collect information on physical examination findings, sociodemographic characteristics, daily dietary status, and level of physical activity. All patients had evaluations for CRP, iron parameters, vitamin B12, and complete blood count.

Results: The study revealed that the obese group had significantly higher serum ferritin levels (p=0.002) and lower serum iron and vitamin B12 levels (p=0.036 and 0.047, respectively) as compared to the control group. In the obese population, elevated BMI has been demonstrated to be correlated with elevated CRP and ferritin levels.

Conclusion: Obesity’s chronic inflammation state may lead inflammatory pathophysiological pathways to activate resulting in iron deficiency and other nutritional deficiencies. Obesity should be followed up as a chronic disease and monitored in terms of nutritional deficiencies, especially in adolescents who have not completed their growth.

Keywords

Iron deficiency, obesity, adolescence

Obez Ergenlerde Demir Eksikliği Anemisinin Değerlendirilmesi, Rol Oynayan Faktörlerin Belirlenmesi

Abstract

Amaç: Ergen nüfusun özellikle risk altında olduğu, yaygınlığını koruyan halk sağlığı sorunlarından obezite ve demir eksikliğinin önemli klinik sonuçları olabilmektedir. Bu çalışmada obez ergenlerde demir parametrelerinin ve serum vitamin B12 düzeylerinin değerlendirilmesi ve anemi gelişiminde rol oynayan faktörlerin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır.

Gereç ve Yöntemler: Bu çalışmada T.C. Sağlık Bakanlığı Ankara Çocuk Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları Hematoloji Onkoloji Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Çocuk Polikliniklerine Mart 2013-Mayıs 2015 tarihleri arasında başvuran 260 çocuk (130 obez, 130 kontrol) geriye dönük olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Akut veya kronik hastalığı olmayan ve vücut kitle indeksi (VKİ) yaş ve cinsiyete göre 95. persentilin üzerinde olan 12-18 yaş arası çocuklar çalışma grubuna dahil edilmiştir. Fiziksel muayene bulguları, sosyodemografik özellikler, günlük beslenme durumu ve fiziksel aktivite düzeyi hakkında bilgi toplamak için hasta dosyalarından elde edilen veriler kullanılmıştır. Tüm hastalarda CRP, demir parametreleri, B12 vitamini ve tam kan sayımı değerlendirmeleri yapılmıştır.

Bulgular: Serum demir ve vitamin B12 düzeyleri, obez grupta kontrol gruba oranla düşük (sırasıyla p = 0.036, p = 0.047), serum ferritin düzeyi ise obez grupta kontrol gruba kıyasla istatistiksel olarak anlamlı derecede yüksek saptanmıştır (p=0.002). Obez grupta yüksek CRP düzeylerinin, artmış VKI ile ilişkili olduğu gösterilmiştir.

Sonuç: Obezitenin kronik enflamasyon durumu, enflamatuar patofizyolojik yolakların aktive olmasına neden olarak demir eksikliği ve diğer beslenme yetersizliklerine yol açabilir. Obezite kronik bir hastalık olarak takip edilmeli ve özellikle büyümesini tamamlamamış ergenlerde beslenme yetersizlikleri açısından izlenmelidir.

Keywords

Demir eksikliği, obezite, ergenlik dönemi

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