Thyroid Dysfunction in Obese Children in Jeonju, Korea.

Cho,  Hye Jin; Kim,  Hye Sil; Park,  Sin Ae; Lee,  Dae Yeol; Kim,  Min Sun; Kim,  In Ho

doi:2012.17.4.219

Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab > Volume 17(4); 2012 > Article

Original Article

Annals of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism 2012;17(4): 219-223.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6065/apem.2012.17.4.219

Thyroid Dysfunction in Obese Children in Jeonju, Korea.

Hye Jin Cho, Hye Sil Kim, Sin Ae Park, Dae Yeol Lee, Min Sun Kim, In Ho Kim

¹Department of Pediatrics, Presbyterian Medical Center, Jeonju, Korea. psinai@hanmail.net
²Department of Pediatrics, Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea.
³Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Abstract

PURPOSE
The aim of this study was to evaluate thyroid dysfunction in obese children in Korea. METHOD: We measured body mass index and thyroid hormone in obese, overweight, and normal weight children who visited a pediatric clinic in Jeonju, Korea, from January 2009 to September 2012.
RESULTS
The free thyroxoine (FT4) level of the obese group (16.35 +/- 2.79 pmol/L) was lower than levels of the overweight (17.65 +/- 2.31 pmol/L) and normal weight (17.28 +/- 2.35 pmol/L; P=0.012) groups. The average value of FT4 in severely obese children (15.71 +/- 1.68 pmol/L) was lower than those of mildly and moderately obese children (16.40 +/- 2.88 pmol/L). We found no significant difference in thyroid stimulating hormone level between the obese group and normal weight group.
CONCLUSION
The FT4 level is lower in obese children than in normal weight children.

Keywords: Obesity;Thyroid hormones;Body mass index;Child