Iron status among obese Egyptian adolescents

Abstract EN

Background / aim Obesity and iron defi ciency are the most common nutritional disorders in the world.

The aim of this work was to assess the iron status, including serum total iron binding capacity (TIBC), transferrin saturation, serum ferritin and soluble serum transferrin receptor (sTfR), among obese Egyptian adolescents.

Patients and methods A cross- sectional case–control study was conducted on 80 adolescents aged 12–14 years who attended the Nutritional Clinic of the National Research Centre.

They were divided into two equal groups of 40 adolescents each: the obese group and the nonobe se group.

Thorough clinical examination including anthropometric measurements was performed.

Haemoglobin level was assessed using the cyanmethaemoglobin method.

Serum iron, TIBC, transferrin saturation, serum ferritin and sTfR were analysed using ELISA.

Results Obese adolescents revealed signifi cantly lower levels of haemoglobin, serum iron, ferritin and transferrin saturation, and signifi cantly higher diastolic blood pressure and higher TIBC and sTfR, compared with the nonobe se group.

Obese adolescents had higher frequency of iron defi ciency anaemia compared with nonobese adolescents (80 vs.

17.5%).

Conclusion Weight loss programmes for obese adolescents are essential for correction of iron status.

Iron fortifi cation for obese adolescents is recommended.