Serum Zinc and Copper Levels in Obese Adolescents

Abstract

Background: Childhood obesity has been called one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. Zinc is one of the essential trace elements. Zinc plays a role in immunity, wound healing, cell growth and division, carbohydrate breakdown, and function of many enzymes and transcription factors. Copper is a component of antioxidant enzymes that acts to protect the body against the action of free radicals. It especially has a role in cardiovascular disease. An increase or decreased in the levels on copper deleterious effect on metabolism.
Objective: To estimate serum zinc and copper levels in obese adolescents.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on JSS Hospital in Mysuru among obese adolescents from 11 year to 18 years visiting the pediatric department as an inpatient or outpatient basis from November 2019to December 2021. The subjects with BMI<95th percentile were enrolled in the study.
Results: 51 individual with BMI<95th percentile were enrolled in the study. There is a relation between trace elements and obesity. 30 out of 51 (58.8%) of them have Deficit Zinc levels. The correlation between serum zinc and obesity was established by Pearson’s correlation (0.2) . But difference is not statistically significant. [p-value>0.05] 31 out of 51 (60.7%) of study subjects had excess copper . Obese adolescents of age group 13-16 years have excess copper with male predominance, the correlation between serum copper with obesity was established by in the adolescent’s population by Pearson’s correlation (0.1), of Mysuru district, Karnataka, India.. Our study was not statistically significant. (p-value >0.05).
Conclusions: Our study concluded that 58.8% of study subjects had zinc deficiency and 60.7% of study subjects had excess copper, co-relation was established between serum zinc and copper with obesity in the adolescents population of Mysuru district, but the study was not statistically significant.