Resumen

LOPEZ, Patricia et al. Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Overweight or Obese Adolescents. Pediatr. (Asunción) [online]. 2012, vol.39, n.1, pp.21-25. ISSN 1683-9803.

Introduction: The diagnosis of metabolic syndrome (MS) is based on systematic clinical and biochemical findings. However, no uniform criteria for the diagnosis of MS in children exist. The definition of MS developed by the Adult Treatment Panel III for the treatment of adults was modified for children and adolescents and presented by Cook et al. They defined MS as the presence of three or more of the following components: 1) Abdominal obesity (waist circumference above the 90th percentile in men or women);  2) Elevated triglyceride levels (≥ 110 mg/dL);  3) low levels of high-density lipoproteins (≤ 40 mg/dL in men or women); 4) high systolic or diastolic blood pressure (≥ 90th percentile for age, sex, and height); and 5) elevated fasting glucose (≥ 100 mg/dL or 5.6 mmol/L). Objectives: To determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components in overweight or obese adolescents. Method: We performed an observational and descriptive cross-sectional study in adolescents aged 11 to 18 years from the Centro Regional de Education (a secondary school) by means of anthropometric measurement, waist circumference, and BP.  All patients whose BMI showed them to be overweight or obese and who participated voluntarily were included and had lab samples taken upon the parents’ informed consent. Results: We studied 503 adolescents from one secondary school, of whom 80 (15.9%) were overweight or obese. The sample studied included 67 patients, 27 (40%) male and 40 (60%) female, with an average age of 14 years with a SD of ±2.7 years. According to BMI, 27 (40.3%) were overweight and 40 (59.7%) obese with an average BMI of 27.7. BP ≥ 90th percentile was found in 15 (22.3%). Waist circumference ≥ 90th percentile was found in 47 (70%). We found 5 (7.4%) met the criteria for metabolic syndrome; 13 (17.9%) met two of the criteria; 33 (49.3%) met one criteria, and 17 (25.4%) had none of the criteria for diagnosis of MS. Of the patients diagnosed with MS, 2 (40%) were male, one of whom was obese, and 3 (60%) were female, all of whom were obese. Conclusions: The most common component of MS was waist circumference, with females more prominent than males, while MS was observed more frequently in obese adolescents. Pediatricians must intervene with individuals as well as at the family level to apply preventative measures given that metabolic syndrome in overweight and obese adolescents present a public health problem.

Palabras clave : Metabolic syndrome; adolescents; overweight; obesity.

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