AUTHOR=Calcaterra Valeria , Vinci Federica , Casari Giulia , Pelizzo Gloria , de Silvestri Annalisa , De Amici Mara , Albertini Riccardo , Regalbuto Corrado , Montalbano Chiara , Larizza Daniela , Cena Hellas 

TITLE=Evaluation of Allostatic Load as a Marker of Chronic Stress in Children and the Importance of Excess Weight

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics

VOLUME=Volume 7 - 2019

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2019.00335

DOI=10.3389/fped.2019.00335

ISSN=2296-2360

ABSTRACT=Introduction Allostatic load (AL) refers to the physiological response associated with the burden of chronic stress. Excessive weight is an important source of physiological stress that promotes a detrimental chronic low-inflammation state. In order to define a correlation between cumulative biological dysregulation and excess weight, we measured AL scores in a pediatric population. 
Patients and methods We enrolled 164 children and adolescents (11.89 ± 3.89). According to their body mass index (BMI) threshold, subjects were classified as normal for weight BMI<75th percentile, overweight BMI 75-95th percentile or obese BMI>95th percentile. Data based on 16 biomarkers were used to create the AL score. A dichotomous outcome for high AL was defined in those who had more than 4 dysregulated components. 
Results  High AL was noted in 88/164 subjects (53.65%), without significant differences between genders (p =0.07) or pubertal status (p=0.10). 
Subjects with a high AL, in addition higher BMI (p<0.001), showed higher WC and WC/HtR (p<0.001), triglycerides (p=0.002), fasting blood glucose (p=0.03), insulin resistance (p<0.001), systolic (p<0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (p=0.001), GGT (p=0.01), PCR (p=0.01) and calprotectin (p<0.01) as well as lower HDL cholesterol (p=0.002) than subjects with a low AL.
The rate of the cumulative biological dysregulation increased progressively with increases in BMI (p< 0.001).
Conclusions A high AL was associated with excess weight. AL may be considered a significant factor correlated with increased morbidity in children who are overweight/obese.