Researchers from King’s College London, UK, have discovered that a new blood test focusing on lipids could provide an early warning for children at risk of developing obesity-related conditions such as type two diabetes, and heart and liver diseases.
The study, recently published in Nature Medicine, highlights the potential of using existing blood plasma testing machines in hospitals to identify early signs of metabolic diseases in children.
The research challenges the prevailing notion that cholesterol is the primary culprit behind obesity-related complications in children. Instead, it identifies new lipid molecules contributing to health risks such as blood pressure, which are not solely linked to a child's weight.
King’s College London Systems Medicine group leader Dr Cristina Legido-Quigley said: “For decades, scientists have relied on a classification system for lipids that have split them into good and bad cholesterol, but now with a simple blood test we can assess a much broader range of lipid molecules that could serve as vital early warning signs for illness.
“In the future, this has the potential to be an entirely new way to evaluate someone’s personal risk of disease and by studying how to change lipid molecules in the body, we could even prevent metabolic diseases like diabetes altogether.”
Traditionally, lipids have been classified as fatty acids, including good or bad cholesterol and triglycerides. However, recent studies by the same team suggest a more complex landscape, with thousands of different lipids, each with unique functions, identified through mass spectrometry.
In a controlled study involving 1,300 children with obesity, the researchers analysed their blood lipids.
Following a year-long lifestyle intervention known as the HOLBAEK-model, 200 participants showed a decrease in lipids associated with insulin resistance, diabetes risk and blood pressure, despite minimal changes in some children's BMI.
The next research phase aims to understand the genetic factors influencing lipids and their implications for metabolic diseases, as well as strategies to modify these lipids to enhance health outcomes.
