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. 2024 Jul 8;16(13):2170.
doi: 10.3390/nu16132170.

Biochemical and Anthropometric Outcomes in Paediatric Patients with Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia after COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdowns: An Exploratory Analysis

Maria Peres  1 , André Moreira-Rosário  1   2   3 , Gonçalo Padeira  4 , Patrícia Gaspar Silva  4 , Carla Correia  4 , Andreia Nunes  4 , Elisabete Garcia  4 , Ana Faria  1   2 , Diana Teixeira  1   2 , Conceição Calhau  1   2   3 , Luís Pereira-da-Silva  2   5 , Ana Cristina Ferreira  4 , Júlio César Rocha  1   2   3   4
Affiliations

Biochemical and Anthropometric Outcomes in Paediatric Patients with Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia after COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdowns: An Exploratory Analysis

Maria Peres et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns affected the lifestyles of children and adolescents, leading to an increase in childhood obesity. Paediatric patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) may be more susceptible to lockdown effects due to their increased cardiovascular risk. However, data are lacking. We investigated the effect of lockdowns on the metabolic profile of paediatric patients with FH. Blood lipids and anthropometry measured in September 2021-April 2022 were retrospectively compared with pre-pandemic values. Thirty participants were included (1-16 years; 57% female). From baseline to post-pandemic, median [P25, P75] blood LDL-C concentration was 125 [112, 150] mg/dL vs. 125 [100, 147] mg/dL (p = 0.894); HDL-C was 58 [52, 65] mg/dL vs. 56 [51, 61] mg/dL (p = 0.107); triglycerides were 64 [44, 86] mg/dL vs. 59 [42, 86] mg/dL (p = 0.178). The BMI z-score did not change significantly (0.19 [-0.58, 0.89] vs. 0.30 [-0.48, 1.10], p = 0.524). The lack of deterioration in metabolic profiles during lockdowns is positive, as some deterioration was expected. We speculate that patients and caregivers were successfully educated about healthy lifestyle and dietary habits. Our results should be interpreted with caution since the study sample was small and heterogeneous. Multicentre research is needed to better understand the impact of lockdowns on this population.

Keywords: COVID-19; LDL cholesterol; anthropometry; familial hypercholesterolemia.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study design. COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Participant flowchart. ULSSJ, Unidade Local de Saúde São José; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; T1DM, type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Distribution of different categories of (a) LDL-C, (b) HDL-C, (c) TG and (d) TC. The following blood lipid results were considered acceptable, borderline and abnormal, respectively: for LDL-C, <110 mg/dL, 110–129 mg/dL and ≥130 mg/dL; for HDL-C, >45 mg/dL, 40–45 mg/dL and <40 mg/dL; for TG (0–9 years of age), <75 mg/dL, 75–99 mg/dL and ≥100 mg/dL; for TG (10–19 years), <90 mg/dL, 90–129 mg/dL and ≥130 mg/dL; and for TC, <170 mg/dL, 170–199 mg/dL and ≥200 mg/dL. HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; TC, total cholesterol; TG, triglycerides.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Distribution of different BMI categories. BMI, body mass index.
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