Metabolic Syndrome in Offspring of Parents with Metabolic Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis

The association between parental cardiovascular health status and the risk of obesity in their offspring: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Little is known about the association of parental cardiovascular risk factors with the risk of obesity in offspring. We aimed to investigate whether parental ideal cardiovascular health (ICVH) status was associated with the risk of general and central obesity in their young/adult offspring.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Of individuals who participated in the 2012-15 phase of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study, 2395 pairs of parent-unmarried offspring aged ≥6 years were selected in this cross-sectional study. General and central obesity were defined based on Iranian BMI percentile reference data for offspring aged ≤18 years. For subjects aged ≥19 years, central obesity was defined based on the introduced cut-off points for Iranian adults. We employed the American Heart Association's 2020 impact goal criteria of ICVH. The mean ± SD age of fathers and mothers were respectively 55.4 ± 9.79 and 48.4 ± 9.88. About 55% of offspring were older than 19 years. Higher adherence to ICVH score in mothers was associated with lower risk of overweight/obesity in female offspring (OR for Q1-Q4: 1, 0.56, 0.57, 0.37, P < 0.05 for all quartiles). Among ICVH components, only ideal BMI status in fathers was observed to be associated with a lower risk of overweight/obesity in their male offspring. The risk of abdominal obesity decreased in female offspring with increasing total ICVH score in mothers.

CONCLUSION

Higher adherence of parents to ICVH and its components was positively associated with a lower risk of general and abdominal obesity in their offspring. Our findings demonstrate that maternal-offspring relationship was stronger than paternal-offspring association.

The Beneficial Effects of Prenatal Biotin Supplementation in a Rat Model of Intrauterine Caloric Restriction to Prevent Cardiometabolic Risk in Adult Female Offspring

Numerous studies indicate that intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) can predispose individuals to metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adulthood. Several reports have demonstrated that pharmacological concentrations of biotin have therapeutic effects on MetS. The present study investigated the beneficial effects of prenatal biotin supplementation in a rat model of intrauterine caloric restriction to prevent cardiometabolic risk in adult female offspring fed fructose after weaning. Female rats were exposed to a control (C) diet or global caloric restriction (20%) (GCR), with biotin (GCRB) supplementation (2 mg/kg) during pregnancy. Female offspring were exposed to 20% fructose (F) in drinking water for 16 weeks after weaning (C, C/F, GCR/F, and GCRB/F). The study assessed various metabolic parameters including Lee's index, body weight, feed conversion ratio, caloric intake, glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, lipid profile, hepatic triglycerides, blood pressure, and arterial vasoconstriction. Results showed that GCR and GCRB dams had reduced weights compared to C dams. Offspring of GCRB/F and GCR/F dams had lower body weight and Lee's index than C/F offspring. Maternal biotin supplementation in the GCRB/F group significantly mitigated the adverse effects of fructose intake, including hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, hepatic steatosis, glucose and insulin resistance, hypertension, and arterial hyperresponsiveness. This study concludes that prenatal biotin supplementation can protect against cardiometabolic risk in adult female offspring exposed to postnatal fructose, highlighting its potential therapeutic benefits.

Impact of bariatric surgery, lifestyle change, and pharmacotherapy on fertility in men with obesity: a systematic review protocol

OBJECTIVE

This review will determine whether various health interventions designed to reduce weight (lifestyle change, bariatric surgery, pharmacotherapy) in men with obesity are associated with improved fertility markers. The review will also establish whether the degree of weight loss achieved through these methods is associated with improvement.

INTRODUCTION

Current preconception guidelines provide limited information for men with obesity. Small studies implementing lifestyle changes in men are associated with improvement in sperm quality, whereas bariatric surgery has not been associated with improvements in sperm quality. Determining the benefit of different interventions and the relationship to weight lost is necessary to optimize male fertility.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

The population will be men younger than 50 years with overweight (BMI >25 kg/m 2 ) or obesity (BMI >30 kg/m 2 ). The exposure of interest will be an intervention undertaken to improve health or reduce weight, categorized as lifestyle change, bariatric surgery, or pharmacotherapy. Outcomes will include time to conception, fecundity rate, assisted reproduction outcomes, and semen quality measures. Secondary analysis will determine whether degree of weight loss achieved is associated with degree of improvement.

METHODS

This review will follow the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of etiology and risk. Databases to be searched will include PubMed, Embase (Ovid), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science Core Collection, and Scopus. Articles not published or translated into English will be excluded. Methodological quality will be assessed using the JBI critical appraisal tools. Data will be extracted using a tool developed by the reviewers. Statistical meta-analysis will be performed where possible to synthesize outcomes of similar methods.

REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42022349665.

Parent-Offspring Associations of Ideal Cardiovascular Health Metrics: Findings From the 2014 to 2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

BACKGROUND

Studies have reported the strength of cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics in parent-offspring relationships. This study aimed to describe the sex-specific associations between CVH in parents and adult offspring.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This study was conducted on the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data set, which analyzed trios of mother-father-child, with the child's age from 20 to 39 years. To use the nature of sampling design, survey weighting was applied to all our analyses. Ideal CVH was defined as a cluster of at least 5 ideal individual CVH metrics. We examined the association between parents and their adult offspring regarding clustering CVH and individual CVH metrics through odds ratios and 95% CIs using multiple logistic regression with standard errors adjusted for within-family clustering. The study included 1267 married couples comprising 748 sons and 819 daughters. After adjusting for household income and offspring's sex, age, education, and alcohol consumption, an offspring with either parent attaining a nonideal CVH was 3.52 times more likely to have nonideal CVH. Fathers' nonideal CVH was significantly positively associated with the daughters' nonideal CVH. Maternal nonideal CVH was significantly positively associated with the son's nonideal CVH. When analyzing individual CVH metrics, ideal status in fathers or mothers reduced the likelihood of their offspring having a nonideal status.

CONCLUSIONS

This cross-sectional study showed positive and differential associations of CVH and its components between parents' and offsprings' nonideal status. Our hypothesis-generating results suggest the relevance of using CVH as a composite indicator in family-centered approaches and heart-health interventions.

Parental metabolic syndrome and elevated liver transaminases are risk factors for offspring, even in children and adolescents with a normal body mass index

Introduction

The parent-child correlation in metabolic syndrome (MetS) and elevated transaminases is sparsely researched. We assessed the correlation of parental MetS and elevated transaminase status with these conditions in their children.

Methods

Data of 4,167 youths aged 10-18 years were analyzed in a population-based survey, and the parental characteristics were stratified by the presence or absence of MetS or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation in their children. The prevalence of these conditions in children was analyzed according to their parents' status. Logistic regression analyses were performed with MetS and ALT elevation in youth as the dependent variables.

Results

The proportions of MetS and ALT elevation were higher in parents of children with MetS and ALT elevation than in those without, even among youths without obesity. In logistic regression analyses, age, body mass index-standard deviation score (BMI-SDS), and ALT elevation were positively associated with MetS, whereas age, male sex, BMI-SDS, protein intake, and MetS were positively associated with ALT elevation. Higher protein intake was related to ALT elevation, whereas metabolic components and nutritional factors were closely related in parents and their children. Odds ratios (OR) of ALT elevation for MetS was 8.96 even after adjusting nutritional factors in the children. The OR was higher for ALT elevation in the children of parents with MetS and ALT elevation compared to those without. ORs for MetS and ALT elevation in the children of parents with MetS were higher than those of children of parents without MetS, even after adjusting for nutritional intake. ORs for ALT elevation were higher in the children of parents with ALT elevation than those without, even after adjusting for nutritional intake and BMI of parents as well as the nutritional intake, age, sex, and BMI-SDS of the children.

Conclusion

MetS and elevated liver transaminase statuses in children were associated with those of their parents even after adjusting for nutritional factors, and the relationships were more prominent in the youth without obesity.

Quality of life and psychosocial outcomes among children with metabolically healthy and unhealthy obesity

BACKGROUND

Obesity and obesity-related morbidities are associated with poor psychosocial adjustment and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aims to examine HRQoL and psychosocial outcomes in children with metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO), and the effects of familial health on these outcomes.

METHODS

Four hundred and six children with BMI for age ≥ 97th percentile were classified as having MHO and MUO based on the absence or presence of metabolic abnormalities. HRQoL and psychosocial outcomes were assessed using validated questionnaires such as PedsQL and DASS-21.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in HRQoL and psychosocial outcomes between children with MHO and children with MUO. Children with MUO and prior knowledge of existing metabolic conditions reported significantly lower total HRQoL (71.18 ± 17.42 vs. 75.34 ± 15.33), and higher depression (12.16 ± 11.80 vs. 8.95 ± 8.52) and stress (12.11 ± 8.21 vs. 10.04 ± 7.92) compared to children with MHO. Children with MUO who had fathers with metabolically unhealthy phenotype reported significantly lower total HRQoL (72.41 ± 15.67 vs. 76.82 ± 14.91) compared to children with MUO who had fathers with metabolically healthy phenotype.

CONCLUSION

Prior knowledge of existing metabolic abnormalities was associated with poorer HRQoL and mental health in children with obesity. Paternal metabolic health status influenced HRQoL in children with MUO.

IMPACT

First study that compared health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychosocial outcomes between children with metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) and children with metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO). No significant differences in HRQoL and psychosocial outcomes between children with metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) and children with metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO). Children with MUO who had prior knowledge of existing metabolic conditions reported lower HRQoL, higher depression and stress compared to children with MHO. Paternal metabolic health status was found to influence HRQoL in children with MUO. Mental health support intervention with paternal involvement should be provided for children with MUO.

Accuracy of visceral adiposity indices and lipid accumulation products in the identification of adults at high cardiovascular risk

INTRODUCTION

The lipid accumulation product (LAP) and visceral adipose index (VAI) are clinical markers of visceral obesity and were proposed as simple tools to estimate cardiovascular risk and mortality. The objective of this study was to analyze the accuracy of the VAI and LAP for high cardiovascular risk patients.

METHODS

A cross-sectional observational study of accuracy was carried out in 193 patients of both sexes. In addition to the variables VAI and LAP, presence of comorbidities, education, level of physical activity and anthropometric data were obtained. Cardiovascular risk was determined by the Framingham score.

RESULTS

No significant difference was observed in the sample in gender distribution (44.6% women; 55.4% men), 24.4% had low cardiovascular risk, 48.7% intermediate risk and 26.9% high cardiovascular risk. Linear regression analysis showed that VAI and LAP explain, respectively, only 2.4% and 5.2% of the variation in cardiovascular risk expressed by the Framingham score. The analysis of areas under the curve (AUC) for receiver operating characteristic (ROC) indicated a significant effect only of LAP to diagnose individuals with high cardiovascular risk, but with low sensitivity and specificity.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that VAI and LAP explain only a small percentage of the variation in the Framingham cardiovascular risk score. LAP index still deserves more attention in a cohort study, because, even with the limitations of a cross-sectional study, we observed an acceptable sensitivity for it so that the LAP can be used as a screening criterion for requesting more accurate tests.

Association of parental cardiovascular risk factors with offspring type 1 diabetes mellitus insulin sensitivity

AIM

This study aimed to determine whether the insulin resistance (IR) and lipid profiles in Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) offspring are associated with IR and other cardiovascular risk factors in their parents.

METHODS

This study included 99 T1D patients (19.6 ± 4.0 yrs.), 85 mothers and 60 fathers. Parents' IR was assessed by HOMA-IR, and the insulin sensitivity in T1D patients was assessed by the estimated Glucose Disposal Rate (eGDR).

RESULTS

The eGDR in the T1D offspring was negatively related to age (p = 0.023), weight (p = 0.004), LDL (p = 0.026), and microalbuminuria (p = 0.019). Maternal Type 2 Diabetes (p < 0.001) and HOMA-IR (p = 0.029) were negatively related to eGDR in their T1D offspring. The maternal HOMA-IR and the proband's eGDR were positively (p = 0.012) and negatively (p = 0.042) associated with the birth weight of the T1D offspring, respectively. We didn't find an association with the fathers' profiles.

CONCLUSIONS

In a cohort of offspring with T1D the insulin sensitivity was related to the IR, lipid profile, and the presence of T2D only in their mothers. Precocious screening and treatment of these risk factors beyond glycemic control will benefit T1D with this background.