The moderating role of sleep duration on momentary relations between negative affect and loss-of-control eating in children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: Loss-of-control (LOC) eating is associated with eating disorders and obesity, and thus it is imperative to understand its momentary risk factors in order to improve intervention efforts. Negative affect has been proposed as a momentary risk factor for LOC eating, but the evidence for its effects in children and adolescents is mixed. Short sleep duration (which is very common in youth), may be one variable that moderates the relation between negative affect and subsequent LOC eating. As such, we aimed to examine the moderating role of within-person sleep duration on the momentary relations between negative affect and subsequent LOC eating. METHOD: We recruited children (N = 30) with overweight/obesity ages 8-14, who completed a 2-week ecological momentary assessment protocol assessing negative affect and LOC eating several times per day, while also wearing a sleep actigraphy device and completing sleep diaries. RESULTS: Consistent with hypotheses, within-person sleep duration moderated the next-day momentary relation between within-person negative affect and LOC eating, such that shorter sleep duration strengthened the positive relation between negative affect and loss-of-control eating. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that, in children and adolescents, fluctuations in sleep duration may influence susceptibility to losing control over eating after experiencing negative affect. Future research should further investigate other metrics of sleep disturbance as they relate to emotion regulation and LOC eating. Such research will set the stage for augmenting paediatric interventions to better target maintenance factors for LOC eating.

Angiopoietin-2 and soluble Tie-2 receptor plasma levels in children with obstructive sleep apnea and obesity.

OBJECTIVE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent condition, especially in children with obesity, and is associated with increased risk for metabolic syndrome (MetS). Angiopoietins have been identified as potential biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction and MetS. In adults, angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and its soluble receptor (sTie-2) are associated with diabetes, hypertension, and obesity and could be increased in children with OSA and obesity, particularly those with evidence of cardiometabolic alterations. METHODS: One hundred twenty-six children (7.4 ± 2.0 years) were consecutively recruited and underwent overnight polysomnography, as well as endothelial function and BMI z score assessments and a fasting blood draw the morning after the sleep study. In addition to lipid profile, glucose and insulin levels, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), Ang-2 and sTie-2 concentrations were determined. RESULTS: Children with obesity and OSA had significantly elevated plasma Ang-2 and sTie-2 levels compared to corresponding controls with and without obesity. Furthermore, endothelial function (Tmax) and HOMA-IR were linearly and independently associated with Ang-2 and sTie-2 levels. In a small subset of children (n = 14), treatment of OSA by adenotonsillectomy resulted in reductions of Ang-2 and sTie-2 (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Ang-2 and sTie-2 plasma levels are increased in pediatric OSA and obesity, particularly when endothelial dysfunction or insulin resistance is detectable, and appear to decrease upon OSA treatment.

Impact of Adenotonsillectomy on Insulin Resistance and Lipoprotein Profile in Nonobese and Obese Children.

BACKGROUND: OSA associates with insulin resistance (IR), hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia consistently in adults, but inconsistently in children. We set out to quantify the impact of OSA treatment upon obesity and metabolic outcomes and thus assess causality. METHODS: Sixty-nine children with OSA; mean age, 5.9 years (range, 3-12.6); 55% boys; and 68% nonobese (NOB) underwent baseline overnight polysomnography, anthropometric and metabolic measurements, adenotonsillectomy (T&A), and follow-up testing a mean 7.9 months (range, 2-20) later. RESULTS: Fifty-three children (77% of study cohort; 91% of obese children) had residual OSA (apnea-hypopnea index > 1 event/h) post-T&A. Fasting plasma insulin (FPI, 14.4 ± 9.4 → 12.6 ± 9.7 µIU/mL, P = .008), homeostasis model assessment-IR (3.05 ± 2.13 → 2.62 ± 2.22, P = .005), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (51.0 ± 12.9 → 56.5 ± 14.4 mg/dL, P = .007) improved despite increased BMI z score (1.43 ± 0.78 → 1.52 ± 0.62, P = .001); changes did not differ significantly between sexes or NOB and obese participants; however, post-T&A BMI z score rather than apnea-hypopnea index was the main predictor of levels of follow-up FPI, HDL, and other metabolic parameters. Higher baseline FPI and BMI-z predicted likelihood of residual OSA; conversely, on regression analysis, follow-up IR, HDL, and triglycerides were predicted by BMI z score, not residual OSA. CONCLUSIONS: T&A improved IR and HDL, and residual OSA is predicted by baseline FPI and BMI z score, indicating a causal relationship; however, following T&A, residual metabolic dysfunction related to underlying adiposity rather than remaining sleep-disordered breathing. Finally, T&A cured OSA in < 25% of all children and only 10% of obese children; post-T&A polysomnography is indicated to assess which children still require treatment.