Metabolic syndrome risk factors in overweight, obese, and extremely obese brazilian adolescents

Abstract

BackgroundObesity in infancy and adolescence has acquired epidemic dimensions worldwide and is considered a risk factor for a number of disorders that can manifest at an early age, such as Metabolic Syndrome (MS). In this study, we evaluated overweight, obese, and extremely obese adolescents for the presence of MS, and studied the prevalence of single factors of the syndrome in this population.MethodsA total of 321 adolescents (174 females and 147 males) aged 10 to 16 years, attending the Adolescent Outpatient Clinic of Botucatu School of Medicine, Brazil, between April 2009 and April 2011 were enrolled in this study. Adolescents underwent anthropometric evaluation (weight, height, and abdominal circumference) and Body Mass Index (BMI) was estimated according to age and gender, following Disease Control and Prevention Centers recommendations (CDC, 2000). Blood pressure was measured and individuals with BMI ≥ 85th percentile were submitted to laboratory evaluation for Total Cholesterol, HDL and LDL Cholesterol, Triglycerides, Fasting Insulinemia, and Fasting Glycemia to identify MS factors, according to the criteria suggested by the International Diabetes Federation. Insulin resistance was calculated by HOMA-IR, Quicki, and Fasting Glycemia/Fasting Insulinemia (FGI).Results and discussionOf the 321 adolescents, 95 (29.6%) were overweight, 129 (40.2%) were obese, and 97 (30.2%) were extremely obese. Around 18% were diagnosed with MS. The most prevalent risk factors were abdominal circumference ≥90th percentile (55%), HDL < 40 mg/dL (35.5%), High Pressure ≥130/85 mm/Hg (21%), Triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL (18.5%), and Fasting Glycemia ≥100 mg/dL (2%). Insulin resistance was observed in 65% of the adolescents.ConclusionAn increased prevalence of overweight and obesity, together with cardiometabolic risk factors such as dyslipidemia and abnormal blood pressure, were observed in adolescents, contributing to the onset of metabolic syndrome at younger ages. Risk factors for MS were more prevalent in females.

Simultaneous presence of excess weight and insufficient hours of sleep in adolescents: prevalence and related factors

“…The high prevalence of excess body fat and insufficient sleep/day hours described in this study warrants the need for attention by the health control media, since the combination of these behaviours was strongly associated with cardiometabolic diseases, dyslipidaemia 5 , increased mass decrease in glucose tolerance and a decrease in insulin sensitivity 12 . In the face of the health problems associated with adolescents with both conditions (excess body fat and insufficient number of hours of sleep/day), it is important to propose effective actions aimed at the prevention of this problem, such as the realization of programmes within the school environment, through lectures, with students and teachers addressing the issue, also informing parents of adolescents about the problems of excess body fat and insufficient number of hours of sleep/day.…”

“…Another factor directly associated with this condition in adolescents is the increase in the intake of foods rich in empty calories and fat 1 . Among the consequences of excess body fat in adolescents, there is an evidence of increased insulin resistance, increased blood pressure and dyslipidaemia, which are risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases 5 .…”

Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of metabolic syndrome in school-aged children and their parents in nine Mesoamerican countries

“…It also hampers the generalizability of results. Third, although metabolic scores have been reported in studies of children and adolescents from Latin America (34)(35)(36) , their absolute values cannot be compared with those from our study because the components used in their estimation differed and each study standardized the score to its own population. Using scores from log-transformed variables is advantageous from a statistical viewpoint but also limits the comparability of absolute values across populations.…”

Esteatose hepática não alcoólica: relação com a síndrome metabólica e os fatores de risco cardiovascular em adolescentes obesos

“…Os valores percentuais encontrados apresentam-se superior aos 55% encontrados por pesquisadores de outro estudo também realizado em adolescentes brasileiros (36) . A porcentagem encontrada de circunferência da cintura acima dos valores de corte é preocupante, pois sugere que pelo menos no sexo masculino, altos valores da circunferência da cintura em adolescentes predizem precocemente a SM em adultos (37) .…”