Childhood adiposity: being male is a potential cardiovascular risk factor

Abstract

Increased adiposity is related to a more pronounced pro-inflammatory response in boys. Childhood male adiposity is a potentially greater cardiovascular risk factor. Arterial hypertension, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia is more strongly correlated to waist circumference in boys.

Muscle mass is the main somatic growth indicator associated with increasing blood pressure with age in children and adolescents

“…Moreover, we can speculate that, if boys and girls had presented similar amounts of fat mass in postpuberty (14‐18 years), SBP would be even higher in boys. Indeed, the android fat phenotype with excess fat in the central body region must lead to a worse metabolic and hemodynamic profile in boys than in girls, with the gynoid body fat phenotype 18‐20 …”

Proposition of Cutoff Points for Anthropometric Indicators to Identify High Blood Pressure in Adolescents

“…In this sense, studies have pointed out that excess weight (overweight and obesity) in the pediatric population is associated with higher blood pressure values (3,4,6,13). Therefore, when body mass index (BMI) reaches the 85th percentile (overweight) in adolescents over 10 years of age, the risk of developing arterial hypertension in adulthood increases (14,15). Furthermore, during childhood, excess weight can cause endothelial damage, consequently atherosclerosis and less arterial stiffness (16)(17)(18).…”