New Blood Test Identifies Obesity-Related Risks in Children
Updated June 10, 2025
Scientists have developed a novel blood test that analyzes lipids, potentially offering a simpler method to pinpoint children vulnerable to obesity-related complications, including type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and heart disease. The KingS College London study,published in nature Medicine,reveals a connection between lipids and metabolic diseases in children,potentially acting as an early warning system.
Researchers suggest that existing hospital blood plasma testing machines could be used to help doctors detect early disease signs in children more rapidly, facilitating quicker access to appropriate treatment. The study challenges the conventional view of cholesterol as the primary driver of obesity complications in children, identifying new lipid molecules that contribute to health risks like high blood pressure, independent of a child’s weight.
Traditionally, lipids were considered simple fatty acids, either “good” or “bad” cholesterol, or triglycerides. However, recent research indicates a more complex picture, with mass spectrometry revealing thousands of distinct lipids, each with unique functions.
The team assessed blood lipids in a control group of 1,300 children with obesity. Later, 200 participants underwent the HOLBAEK model, a Danish lifestyle intervention program for individuals with obesity. Follow-up readings showed a decrease in lipids associated with diabetes risk, insulin resistance, and blood pressure within the intervention group, despite only marginal improvements in some children’s body mass index (BMI).
For decades, scientists have relied on a classification system for lipids that have split them into good and bad cholesterol, but now with a simple blood test we can assess a much broader range of lipid molecules that could serve as vital early warning signs for illness,” said Dr. Cristina Legido-Quigley, group leader in Systems Medicine at King’s College London and principal author. “In the future, this has the potential to be an entirely new way to evaluate someone’s personal risk of disease and by studying how to change lipid molecules in the body, we could even prevent metabolic diseases like diabetes altogether.
While obesity remains a risk factor for conditions like fatty liver disease,the researchers hope these measurements will enable doctors to treat at-risk children earlier.
Early recognition of children at risk for these life-threatening diseases is crucial,” said Dr. Karolina Sulek, who contributed to the study. ”The study provides strong evidence of the great need for obesity management and gives parents confidence to intervene in their children’s life more compassionately, helping them to lose weight.
What’s next
Future research will focus on understanding the genetic influence on lipids and its implications for metabolic diseases, and also exploring how to modify these lipids to improve overall health.
