Gender-related differences in cardiometabolic risk factors and oxidative stress among prepubertal children with obesity

Objectives: Gender-related differences in oxidative stress, nitric oxide bioavailability, and cardiometabolic risk factors were examined in a cross-sectional study involving 313 prepubertal children (8-9 years old) from the generation XXI birth-cohort.Methods: Anthropometric measurements, cardiometabolic variables, and redox markers were assessed, including plasma and urinary isoprostanes (P-Isop, U-Isop), plasma total antioxidant status (P-TAS), serum myeloperoxidase (MPO), plasma and urinary nitrates and nitrites (P-NOX, U-NOX), and urinary hydrogen peroxide (U-H2O2).Results: Girls showed higher levels of total/non-HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) compared to boys. Notably, U-H2O2 values were lower in girls. When stratifying by body mass index (BMI) and gender, both girls and boys exhibited higher MPO concentration and U-Isop values. Uric acid concentration was higher in overweight and obese girls than in normal weight girls, while no significant differences were observed among boys across BMI categories. Furthermore, U-NOX values differed only in boys, with higher levels observed in overweight and obese individuals compared to those with normal weight. Multivariate analysis, adjusted for age and BMI z-score, demonstrated inverse associations between U-H2O2 and pulse wave velocity values, as well as between U-NOX and total or non-HDL cholesterol, exclusively in boys. In girls, a positive association between U-Isop and HOMA-IR values was observed.Conclusions: In conclusion, gender differentially impacts oxidative stress, nitric oxide bioavailability, and cardiometabolic risk factors in prepubertal children. Prepubertal girls appear more susceptible to oxidative stress-induced metabolic dysfunction, while in boys, elevated levels of redox and nitric oxide bioavailability markers seem to provide protection against arterial stiffness and lipid homeostasis.