The Impact of Obesity on Children and Adolescents.

The Relation of Obesity With Metabolic Disorders, Inflammation Markers and Arterial Blood Pressure With Preclinical Target-organ Damage in Children and Young Adolescents.

The aim of the study is to investigate the association of obesity with arterial blood pressure, atherosclerosis, target organ damage (heart, arteries, kidney) and insulin resistance in children and young adolescents.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Overweight (85th<BMI<95th percentile) and obese (BMI>=95th percentile) children and adolescents
• No medication treatment (apart from bronchodilators, T4 in euthyroid children)
• No severe mental problem
• Parents' and patients' signed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe chronic or acute cardiac disease or other severe chronic or acute disease
• Any acute inflammation
• Familial dyslipidemia
• Clinical hypothyroidism or other endocrinopathy
• Poor compliance.