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Our results suggest that OW/OB is inversely associated with childhood albuminuria while female gender is positively associated. Whether the results can be explained by the increased physical activity in lean children should be the subject of future investigations. These results suggest that micro-albuminuria in children may not be a useful tool in the early identification of children at risk for future renal and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

This study demonstrated a high prevalence of both 25(OH)D deficiency and insufficiency and an inverse association between 25(OH)D and glucose concentration in apparently healthy Koya Indian children. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.

Background Insulin resistance is considered one of the major risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Thus, early identification, preferably by using simple and inexpensive diagnostic tools, is essential for preventing T2DM. Triglyceride (TG) to high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) ratio (TG/HDL‐C) has been proposed as an inexpensive tool to identify individuals at high risk of T2DM. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between insulin resistance and TG/HDL‐C in indigenous Argentinean children. Methods A cross‐sectional study of 501 (243 boys) indigenous school children aged 10.0 ± 2.4 yr were assessed for anthropometry, lipids, glucose, and insulin levels from November 2011 to November 2013. Insulin resistance was defined as the upper third quartile of homeostasis model assessment (HOMA‐IR). Results The prevalence of overweight/obesity was 11.4% per Centers for Disease Control. Mean levels of various characteristics were: body mass index (BMI) 17.2 ± 2.6, HDL‐C 39 ± 9 mg/dL, TGs 121 ± 58 mg/dL, TG/HDL‐C 2.9 ± 1.8, glucose 77 ± 8 mg/dL, HOMA‐IR 1.0 ± 0.8, and insulin 44 ± 9 mUI/L. Children in the higher quartiles of TG/HDL‐C had significantly higher HOMA‐IR values than children in the lower quartiles. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that TG/HDL‐C was significantly associated with HOMA‐IR (r2 = 0.19) adjusted for age, gender, and BMI. Furthermore, for a 1‐unit increase in log TG/HDL‐C, the odds of being insulin resistant (HOMA‐IR>III quartile) increased by 2.58 times [odds ratio (OR), 2.58 (1.63–4.05); p < 0.01], adjusted for age, gender, and BMI. Conclusion This study suggests that TG/HDL‐C may be a good marker to identify insulin resistant indigenous Argentinean children.

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The objective was to compare blood pressure (BP) levels in 2 groups of Indigenous Argentine school children from similar ethnic backgrounds but living at different altitudes. One hundred and fifty-two (46.3%) children (age, 4–14 years) from San Antonio de los Cobres (SAC), at 3750 m above sea level, and 176 children (53.7%) from Chicoana (CH), at 1400 m above sea level, participated in this cross-sectional study. Data for children’s anthropometry, BP, glucose, lipids, vitamin D, and insulin, as well as mothers’ height and weight were assessed. Hypertension was defined as BP ≥ 95th percentile. The prevalence of overweight/obesity among children was significantly lower in SAC (n = 17, 11.2%) than in CH (n = 74, 42%) (body mass index (BMI) > 85th percentile per US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention norms). However, the prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher among children in SAC (n = 15, 9.9%) than among those in CH (n = 2, 1.1%). Children were divided into 4 groups by mean arterial BP quartiles for comparison by ANOVA. As mean arterial BP increased, age, BMI, glucose, triglycerides, triglycerides/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and insulin levels increased significantly. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that children’s mean arterial BP was significantly associated with altitude adjusted for confounding variables (R2 = 0.42). Furthermore, when mean arterial BP was replaced by systolic BP (R2 = 0.51) or diastolic BP (R2 = 0.33), similar results were obtained. Our results suggest that Indigenous children who live permanently at high altitude have higher levels of BP, adjusted for confounding variables. Routine BP measurements conducted in the SAC community could be essential for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

The objective of this study was to assess the association between vitamin D and cardiometabolic markers in 2 indigenous communities from similar ethnic backgrounds, but living at different altitudes. A cross-sectional study compared 152 (72 females) indigenous schoolchildren from San Antonio de los Cobres (SAC), 3750 m above sea level, with 175 (86 females) from Chicoana (CH), 1400 m above sea level, mean age 9 years. Anthropometry, blood pressure, lipids, glucose, insulin, and vitamin D were assessed in spring season. The prevalence of children’s overweight/obesity was significantly lower in SAC, 9.2% (13), than in CH, 41.5% (71). There was a significantly higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) in SAC (n = 103, 67.7%) than in CH (n = 62, 36.3%). SAC showed an inverse correlation between vitamin D and insulinemia (r = −0.17, P < .05), whereas CH showed an inverse correlation between vitamin D and systolic blood pressure (r = −0.19, P < .05), z-BMI (body mass index; r = −0.25, P < .01), triglycerides (r = −0.15, P < .05), glucose (r = −0.35, P < .05), and insulinemia (r = −0.24, P < .01). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that vitamin D (β = −.47; R2 = .21) was significantly associated with SAC location, adjusted for confounding variables. Vitamin D levels were significantly and directly associated with altitude and inversely with metabolic markers, suggesting that populations living at high altitudes are at higher risk for future cardiovascular diseases.

This study suggests that WC and BMI are (and remain) the best correlates for insulin resistance. In contrast, the indices of the ratio between WC and height were fair predictors for insulin resistance. Additional longitudinal studies should be done to further confirm these findings.