Oxidative Stress and Obesity: a Case-Control Study.

Abstract

Obesity has become a leading global health problem owing to its strong association with a high incidence of diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and cancer. It is often accompanied by an increased risk of mortality and, in the case of non-fatal health problems, the quality of life is impaired because of associated conditions, including sleep apnea, respiratory problems, osteoarthritis, and infertility. Oxidative stress has been considered one of the mechanisms linking obesity to related complications. The oxidative stress parameters are compared in obese subjects matched healthy controls. Our aim was to determine the relationship between obesity and oxidative stress. The present study focused on a sample of 60 volunteers (17 men and 43 women), aged 18-62 years of both genders in the city of Tlemcen, divided according to their BMI into two groups: non obese group (BMI <25 kg/m2) and obese group (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2). The status of oxidative stress was evaluated by determining the serum levels of vitamin C, copper and zinc. The study revealed that copper to zinc ratio was significantly higher in obese subjects compared with those having normal BMI (P <0.05), vitamin C and zinc concentrations were significantly lower in obese versus non obese subjects. The decrease in antioxidant defenses and increased copper to zinc ratio in obese subjects reflect a profound oxidative stress, which would be one of the mechanisms involved in the onset of diseases caused by the obesity.