Gaber, H., Eldahshan, T., Ghanem, S., Abdel Fatah, M. (2019). Value of Serum Zinc, Magnesium and Copper in Obese and Normal Weight Children. The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 76(1), 3254-3259. doi: 10.21608/ejhm.2019.36887
Hassan Abdel Aziz Gaber; Tarek Abdel Kareim Eldahshan; Sabry Mohammed Ghanem; Mostafa Ahmed Abdo Abdel Fatah. "Value of Serum Zinc, Magnesium and Copper in Obese and Normal Weight Children". The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 76, 1, 2019, 3254-3259. doi: 10.21608/ejhm.2019.36887
Gaber, H., Eldahshan, T., Ghanem, S., Abdel Fatah, M. (2019). 'Value of Serum Zinc, Magnesium and Copper in Obese and Normal Weight Children', The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 76(1), pp. 3254-3259. doi: 10.21608/ejhm.2019.36887
Gaber, H., Eldahshan, T., Ghanem, S., Abdel Fatah, M. Value of Serum Zinc, Magnesium and Copper in Obese and Normal Weight Children. The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 2019; 76(1): 3254-3259. doi: 10.21608/ejhm.2019.36887
Value of Serum Zinc, Magnesium and Copper in Obese and Normal Weight Children
Departments of Clinical Pathology and pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University
Abstract
Background: Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of 21st century. The problem is global and is steadily affecting many low- and middle-income countries. The rising prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity represent a major health concern, as obesity is an important risk factor for a number of diseases. A strong evidence indicating that a disturbance of serum levels of zinc, copper and magnesium plays important role in the development of obesity and its related diseases. Our aim is to determine the mean zinc, magnesium and copper levels in obese and overweight children as compared to the levels in normal weight controls to study its relationship with overweight and obesity. Objective: We aimed to assess, evaluate and compare serum zinc, magnesium and copper in obese, overweight and normal-weight children. Patients and methods: The study was a case-control study conducted on 60 subjects 20 obese children, 20 overweight children and 20 normal weight children. All of them were subjected to full history taking, complete examination, and routine investigation including CBC, SGOT, SGPT, RBS, urea, Creatinine, TSH, lipid profile and specific laboratory investigation including serum zinc, magnesium and copper. Results: In obese and overweight children, there were increased serum copper levels together with reduced serum levels of zinc and magnesium regardless age and sex when compared to normal weight children. Conclusion: In obesity, there were increased serum copper levels together with reduced serum levels of zinc and magnesium regardless age and sex. Obese and overweight may be at a greater risk of developing imbalance (mainly deficiency) of trace elements, which may be playing an important role in the pathogenesis of obesity and related metabolic risk factors.