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Cortisol levels higher in obese children
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Recent study findings showed that obese children had higher levels of cortisol than their average-weight counterparts.
“We were surprised to find obese children, as young as age 8, already had elevated cortisol levels,” Erica van den Akker, MD, PhD, of Erasmus MC-Sophia Children’s Hospital in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, said in a press release. “By analyzing children’s scalp hair, we were able to confirm high cortisol levels persisted over time.”
Researchers for the observational case-control study analyzed hair samples from 20 obese children and 20 normal-weight children. Hair samples >2 cm were used to measure cortisol levels as they persisted for 1 month. There were 15 girls and five boys aged 8 to 12 years in each group (mean age for both groups, 10.8 years).
The levels of cortisol concentration in obese participants’ scalp hair averaged 25 pg/mg vs. 17 pg/mg in the normal-weight group (P<.05). After analyzing the same children with the covariance of ethnicity, there was a trend for a difference in cortisol concentration between the obese group and the normal-weight group (P=.078). The researchers said this covariant needs further investigation.
There also were significant correlations between hair cortisol concentrations and BMI as well as cortisol concentrations and waist circumference (P<.05).
The researchers concluded that long-term activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in obese children could be a target in future treatment of childhood obesity.
“Because this study took an observational approach, more research will determine the cause of this phenomenon,” van den Akker said. “We do not know whether obese children actually experience more psychological stress or if their bodies handle stress hormones differently. Answering these key questions will improve our understanding of childhood obesity and may change the way we treat it.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
Perspective
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Molly O. Regelmann, MD
Previous studies have shown conflicting data regarding cortisol levels and obesity. This study is unique in that rather than using saliva, urine or blood cortisol levels, which can vary greatly day to day, it used hair samples, which reflect chronic cortisol exposure. The results showed a significantly higher cortisol level in the obese group than in the non-obese group of children. It is not clear, however, whether the elevation in cortisol is a cause or an effect of the obesity. Cortisol levels and BMI are known to be affected by factors, such as sleep duration and puberty, which were not controlled for in this study. Further longitudinal studies need to be performed to establish the relationship between elevated cortisol levels and obesity.
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