Peer-reviewed article
Association of childhood obesity on retinal microvasculature and the role of biochemical markers for its early detection.
Sina Arabi, Mohsen Pourazizi, Motahar Heidari-Beni, Maryam Yazdi, Roya Kelishadi ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study compared retinal blood vessel changes in 45 obese or overweight children with 46 healthy children, using eye imaging and blood tests. Obese children showed thickening of part of the retina and changes in blood vessel density in their eyes. The study found connections between obesity measures, blood sugar levels, liver function, and fat levels with these retinal changes.
Key points
- Obese and overweight children had increased foveal thickness compared to healthy weight children
- Obese children showed increased blood vessel density in the superficial retinal layer but decreased density in the deep retinal layer
- Body mass index, body fat percentage, fasting blood glucose, and liver enzyme levels were associated with retinal blood vessel changes
- Triglyceride levels were associated with retinal thickness in obese children
Limitations
This is a cross-sectional study that cannot determine cause and effect. The study does not assess whether these retinal changes have clinical consequences for children's vision or long-term health outcomes.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern, associated with several systemic disorders including changes in retinal microvasculature. This study aims to assess the relationship between body composition, biochemical markers, and retinal microvascular changes in obese children. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 45 overweight and obese children and 46 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals were evaluated. In addition to physical examination, anthropometric measurements were obtained using a body composition analyzer. A comprehensive ophthalmic assessment was conducted for all participants, which included advanced optical biometry, autorefractometry, visual acuity testing, and slit-lamp examination. Retinal microvasculature was assessed using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A). Biochemical markers, including lipid profile, liver function tests, and CRP (as marker of inflammation), were also analyzed. RESULTS: The mean ages were 10.18 and 9.40 years in the obese/overweight and normal weight groups, respectively. Increased foveal thickness (p = 0.04) and foveal vessel density (p = 0.01) in the superficial capillary plexus, and decreased vessel density in the inferior parafoveal region of the deep capillary plexus (p = 0.03) were observed in obese/overweight children. Adjusted and crude regression analysis showed significant associations between body mass index, percent body fat, fasting blood glucose, and serum alanine transaminase levels with foveal vessel density, as well as between body mass index and serum triglycerides levels with foveal thickness. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that childhood obesity is associated with significant alterations in retinal microvasculature. We propose that retinal health assessments and biochemical evaluations be considered in the clinical management of obese children.