WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: Despite the dramatic rise in prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among children and adolescents, and that MetS is associated with cognitive and brain impairments among adults, no data on the impact of MetS on the brain exist in children. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS:It provides the first data on the impact of MetS on brain in adolescence. We show reductions in cognitive function and brain structural integrity in nondiabetic adolescents with MetS, thus suggesting that even pre-clinical metabolic illness may give rise to brain complications.abstract BACKGROUND: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) parallels the rise in childhood obesity. MetS is associated with neurocognitive impairments in adults, but this is thought to be a long-term effect of poor metabolism. It would be important to ascertain whether these brain complications are also present among adolescents with MetS, a group without clinically manifest vascular disease and relatively short duration of poor metabolism. METHODS:Forty-nine adolescents with and 62 without MetS, matched on age, socioeconomic status, school grade, gender, and ethnicity, received endocrine, MRI, and neuropsychological evaluations. RESULTS:Adolescents with MetS showed significantly lower arithmetic, spelling, attention, and mental flexibility and a trend for lower overall intelligence. They also had, in a MetS-dose-related fashion, smaller hippocampal volumes, increased brain cerebrospinal fluid, and reductions of microstructural integrity in major white matter tracts. CONCLUSIONS:We document lower cognitive performance and reductions in brain structural integrity among adolescents with MetS, thus suggesting that even relatively short-term impairments in metabolism, in the absence of clinically manifest vascular disease, may give rise to brain complications. In view of these alarming results, it is plausible that obesity-associated metabolic disease, short of type 2 diabetes mellitus, may be mechanistically linked to lower the academic and professional potential of adolescents. Although obesity may not be enough to stir clinicians or even parents into action, these results in adolescents strongly argue for an early and comprehensive intervention. We propose that brain function be introduced among the parameters that need to be evaluated when considering early treatment of childhood obesity. Pediatrics 2012;130:e856-e864 As a result of the childhood obesity epidemic, in 2006, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) was already 8.6% among all US children and adolescents. 1 MetS in childhood predicts MetS and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in adulthood. 2 The MetS is composed of 5 obesity-associated components, namely elevations in fasting glucose levels or insulin resistance (IR) dependent on the definition used, 3,4 lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL), hypertriglyceridemia, and hypertension in addition to abdominal obesity. MetS among middle-aged and older adults has been associated with cognitive dysfunction. 5 However, to date, no brain data...

We present here a case of an asymptomatic end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patient, who had an unexplained persistent mild leukocytosis in the setting of an extremely high ferritin level (8,997 ng/ml; reference range: 12 - 300 ng/ml) 3 weeks after she suffered from a myocardial infarction (MI). Infection as the cause of these laboratory abnormalities was ruled out. A week later, the patient was noted to have asymptomatic hypotension (100/60 mmHg; her baseline blood pressure was 120/70 mmHg) during a maintenance hemodialysis session. An echocardiography revealed an interval development of moderate pericardial effusion when compared to her previous echocardiography 4 weeks before. In the setting of a recent MI with other laboratory markers suggesting an ongoing inflammatory process, a tentative diagnosis of Dressler's syndrome was made. A pericardial tap yielded exudative (bloody) fluid, thus, confirming our suspicion. Dressler's syndrome results from an inflammation of the pericardium as a consequence of an underlying autoimmune process few weeks to months after a myocardial infarction or post-cardiac surgery. Although it typically presents with pleuritic chest pain, fever, leukocytosis, and a friction rub; our case illustrates that the initial presentation may be asymptomatic in ESRD patients. For the same reason, it is likely an under-recognized entity in such patients. An unexplained elevated ferritin in an ESRD patient with recent history of MI should prompt an investigation for Dressler's syndrome. In those with associated significant pericardial effusion, daily HD should be initiated and anticoagulation should be avoided. Unlike other ESRD associated pericarditis, steroids and NSAIDs should be avoided in Dressler's syndrome as they may hamper cardiac remodeling in the immediate post-MI period. Colchicine may offer some benefit in patients with associated chest pain. For those failing medical management or manifesting overt signs of tamponade, surgical drainage should be preferred.