Obesity Profile of Lahore District: Risk Factors And Inflammatory Mediators

Abstract

An increasing public health concern is obesity, which is particularly common in Pakistan's urban areas and other developing nations. This cross-sectional study looked at 1301 people in Lahore to determine the prevalence of obesity and the metabolic and inflammatory markers that are linked to it in Lahore District, Pakistan. Overall, the rates of underweight, normal BMI, overweight, and obesity were 19.14%, 24.2%, 38.91%, and 17.75%, respectively. The age group of 26–39 years old had the highest obesity rate, with a notable gender difference of 60.12% for men and 39.88% for women. Significant variations were observed in the cholesterol levels between obese and normal-weight subjects (261 ± 2.8 mg/dL versus 163 ± 3.17 mg/dL), according to the study. Additionally, leptin resistance was shown by lower soluble leptin receptor levels (13.8 ± 0.432 ng/mL) and higher leptin levels (33.8 ± 1.26 ng/mL) in the obese participants. Obese people had considerably higher levels of inflammatory markers, such as TGF-β, TNF-α, CRP, IL-6, and IL-8, indicating a condition of chronic low-grade inflammation. Particularly, there was a noticeable increase in CRP (4.68 ± 0.285 mg/dL), IL-8 (29 ± 3.19 pg/mL), and IL-6 (16.2 ± 0.925 pg/mL). These results highlight the significance of managing inflammatory and metabolic pathways in obesity. The report emphasizes how urgently focused efforts are needed to reduce obesity and the health problems associated with it in the people of Lahore. Gaining insight into how inflammatory indicators and leptin signaling interact in obesity may help develop preventative and treatment methods that are more successful.