[Electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings in children with overweight and obesity]. / Trastornos electrocardiográficos y ecocardiográficos en niños con sobrepeso y obesidad.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Obesity is associated with cardiovascular risk factors and heart failure. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Thirty children with overweight or obesity were matched with 30 healthy children. Corrected QT interval (QTc) and QT dispersion (QTd), left ventricular mass, left ventricular mass index, fractional shortening and fractional ejection, were measured. RESULTS: QTc and QTd were significantly greater in patients with overweight or obesity than in the control group. Left ventricular mass and left ventricular mass index were significantly higher in overweight or obese children than in controls. CONCLUSIONS: Children with overweight-obesity have an increase of corrected QT and QT interval dispersion and of the volume and mass of the left ventricle and a greater risk of arrhythmia, in relation to controls. These results make consider the need for a special cardiac monitoring of obese children, especially in the severe forms.

[Anorexia nervosa and cerebral atrophy in adolescents]. / Anorexia nerviosa y atrofia cerebral en adolescentes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The incidence of cerebral atrophy in patients with anorexia nervosa and its relation to nutritional parameters has not been considered yet. PATIENTS AND METHOD: The medical records of 55 patients were reviewed. 47 of them underwent a cerebral magnetic resonance, anthropometric and nutritional study. RESULTS: Cerebral atrophy was found in 10 (21.2%) out of the 47 patients studied. Those patients with cerebral atrophy showed an older age and greater percentage of weight loss than patients without atrophy (p = 0.014 and p = 0.001) but lower triceps skinfold average (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Cerebral atrophy is common in patients with anorexia nervosa, mainly in those with a severe weight loss and lower body fat.

Changes in body composition and cardiovascular risk indicators in healthy Spanish adolescents after lamb- (Ternasco de Aragón) or chicken-basic diets.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of lamb consumption (Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), Ternasco de Aragón) on health indicators including body composition and cardiovascular risk indicators of healthy young Spanish students living in the area of Aragón, Spain. METHODOLOGY: A randomized-controlled and cross-over trial (two periods of 8 weeks duration) assessing changes on body composition (body mass index and skinfold thicknesses) and cardiovascular risk indicators of 50 participants randomly assigned to follow a normocaloric diet with lamb (Ternasco de Aragón) or chicken. Body composition and serum cardiovascular risk profiles were measured both at baseline and follow-up. RESULTS: Healthy men (n = 22) and women (n = 28), aged 19.43 ± 0.85 years were studied. Suprailiac skinfold thickness and waist circumference significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in the lamb-consumption group compared to the chicken based diet group. No significant changes were observed in the rest of the variables in either group. Tryacilglicerol and insulin serum concentrations significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in the lamb-consumption group compared to the chicken based diet group. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that regular consumption of lamb (Ternasco de Aragón) can be integrated into a healthy, varied and well-balanced diet, as body composition and cardiovascular risk profile changes are similar or even healthier to those observed following chickenconsumption.

Objetivo: Evaluar el efecto del consumo de cordero (Indicación Geográfica Protegida (IGP), Ternasco de Aragón) en los indicadores de salud, incluyendo la composición corporal y los factores de riesgo cardiovascular en estudiantes españoles jóvenes y sanos que viven en la zona de Aragón. Metodología: Se han evaluado los cambios producidos en la composición corporal y los factores de riesgo cardiovascular en dos períodos aleatorios, cruzados y controlados. 50 jóvenes fueron asignados aleatoriamente para seguir una dieta normocalórica con carne de cordero (Ternasco de Aragón) o el pollo. La composición corporal se evaluó a través de medidas antropométricas y el perfil de riesgo cardiovascular en suero se midió al inicio y después de consumir la carne de cordero o de pollo. Resultados: Se ha estudiado una muestra compuesta por hombres sanos (n = 22) y mujeres sanas (n = 28), con edades comprendidas entre 19,43 ± 0,85 años. El pliegue cutáneo suprailíaco y la circunferencia de la cintura disminuyeron de forma significativa (p < 0,05) en el grupo de consumo de cordero y no en el de pollo. No se observaron cambios significativos en el resto de variables en los dos grupos. Las concentraciones de triglicéridos y las concentraciones séricas de insulina disminuyeron de forma significativa (p < 0,05) en el grupo de consumo de cordero y no en el de pollo. Conclusiones: Los resultados sugieren que el consumo regular de carne de cordero (Ternasco de Aragón) se puede integrar en una dieta sana, variada y equilibrada, ya que los cambios observados en la composición corporal y en el perfil de riesgo cardiovascular son similares o incluso más favorables en el grupo que consumió cordero que en el grupo que consumió pollo.