## 3 Results
### Assessment of Risk Factors
#### 3.3.1 Obese Patients
Although CIMT scored higher values in this group than in the one with healthy blood pressure levels, the difference was not statistically significant (\(p=0.102\)). * Smoking. Smoking proved to be a significant risk factor. Only 15% of the adolescents pertaining to the obese group declared that they were smokers. Their CIMT mean was highest than any of the analyzed subgroups and the differences were statistically significant (\(p=0.015\)). Moreover, smoking was strongly and positively correlated with higher values of CIMT (r = 0.53). * Lifestyle. In the obese group, 65% of children declared a sedentary lifestyle (practicing no sport and having less than an hour/day of physical activity). CIMT values were higher than in children with healthy physical activity, but the differences were not statistically significant. 3.3.2. Overweight Patients Overall CIMT mean values were lower for overweight children than for obese children (Table 4). +++ ==WARNING: Truncated because of repetitions==
* Postnatal nutrition. In the overweight group, the nutrition factor was divided almost equally between children, with 47% having received formula as nurslings. However, the mean CIMT was significantly higher in children fed with formula (\(\overline{X}\) = 0.5 mm) than in breastfed children (\(\overline{X}\) = 0.44 mm), \(p\) = 0.023. * Birth weight. Exactly one third of the overweight patients were born with a birth weight higher than 3500 g and scored higher CIMT values (\(\overline{X}\) = 0.5 mm) than the low BW and normal BW groups (\(\overline{X}\) = 0.45 mm and \(\overline{X}\) = 0.46 mm, respectively). No statistical differences were detected between subgroups. * Biological mother's health during pregnancy. A total of 53% of overweight patients were born to mothers who had problematic pregnancies. These children showed higher CIMT values than those who were born to healthy mothers (Table 4) and the differences between them were statistically significant (\(p\) = 0.042). The most encountered risk factor was weight gain of over 20 kg during pregnancy (20% of cases), followed by autoimmune thyroiditis and gestational diabetes in equal percentages (13%). A total of 7% of mothers admitted to smoking during pregnancy in this group (Figure 4). * Family history. A total of 60% of overweight kids had an at-risk medical family history (Figure 5). Statistically significantly higher CIMT values were detected in the group with such risk factors within the immediate family, compared to children with negative family history (\(p\) = 0.049). * High blood pressure. Even fewer children presented high blood pressure in the overweight group (13%, compared to 20% in the obese group). However, the CIMT values were significantly higher in hypertensive children than in non-hypertensive ones (\(p\) = 0.012). * Smoking. CIMT mean was higher in smoking overweight children, but the differences were not statistically significant due to the small case sample (\(p\) = 0.06). Even so, smoking remains a solid risk factor for increased CIMT, in overweight children as well. Figure 4: Mother’s health during pregnancy, in overweight children. Figure 5: Family history of risk factors, in overweight children. Lifestyle. A total of 40% of overweight children admitted to leading a sedentary lifestyle, with less than 1 h of physical activity per day. However, the higher values of CIMT in the risk group were not statistically significant (\(p\) = 0.324).