Heterogeneity of metabolic phenotypes in adolescent boys with obesity due to excess calories

The aim of the study was to determine the heterogeneity of metabolic parameters in teenage boys diagnosed with “obesity due to excess calories” using cluster analysis. Materials and methods. One hundred and twenty-three randomly selected patients aged 14 to 17 years diagnosed with “obesity due to excess calories” were examined. The statistical analysis included descriptive and analytical methods, in particular aimed to identify clusters of biochemical indicators, including serum fasting glucose level, insulin level, total cholesterol level, low density lipoproteins (LDLP), very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), high density lipoproteins (HDLP) and triglycerides. Results. Two clusters of observations have been identified. The first cluster consisted of 72 patients (58.5%) having fasting glucose levels slightly below average, insulin levels above average, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDLP and VLDL above average, and HDLP levels below average (“metabolically unhealthy” obesity). The second cluster included 51 teenagers (41.5%) who presented with opposite trends in metabolic characteristics (“metabolically healthy” obesity). The adolescents from the first cluster were slightly older, had higher body mass, body mass index (BMI) and z-BMI scores, and higher HOMA-IR scores. Arterial hypertension and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease were diagnosed statistically significantly more frequently in adolescents from this cluster. Conclusion. Teenage boys with obesity are a heterogeneous group in terms of the values of major metabolic indicators.