Obesity in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease: A New Phenomenon

Study Summary

The objective of this project is to determine the prevalence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia in the pediatric population with sickle cell disease who are obese in Mississippi compared to those pediatric patients with sickle cell disease who are not overweight/obese. The pediatric hematology department at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) has a relatively large population of patients with sickle cell disease who are overweight and obese. This is a paradoxical trend since high-energy expenditure of the body to produce new red blood cells usually results in underweight to normal weight patients. From our previous chart review, the investigators found our pediatric patients with sickle cell disease to have similar rates of overweight and obesity to that of state and national levels. The metrics our team will measure include: blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels and blood glucose levels. The investigators expect to find higher rates of hypertension, high cholesterol and high glucose levels in the overweight and obese patients with SCD compared to that of underweight and normal weight. Our ultimate goal for follow up projects will be to determine the baseline risk of hypertension, hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia in this population so we can then determine effective, sustainable interventions for weight and the co-morbidities that come with increasing weight status. Our goal would also be to educate the patient and families on these interventions and provide them with resources, which could lead to an overall improvement in health and patients quality of life.