Patterns of change in cardiometabolic risk factors associated with the metabolic syndrome among children and adolescents: the Fels Longitudinal Study.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the patterns of change in cardiometabolic risk factors associated with the metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents between the ages of 8 to 19 years.

STUDY DESIGN

Data of children and adolescents who participated in the Fels Longitudinal Study were analyzed. Body mass index, waist circumference, fasting insulin, fasting glucose, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were assessed annually with a standardized protocol.

RESULTS

The proportion of participants having at least 1 change between states of high and normal risk ranged from of 11.0% for body mass index to 30.4% for triglycerides. Youth in the high-risk category at baseline had a higher proportion having changed their status for all risk factors (all P < .05) except waist circumference compared with those in the normal-risk category. There were significant time effects for all risk factors (all P < .01) except fasting glucose and triglyceride levels in metric scores, but insignificant time effects for all risk factors in Z-scores in growth curve analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

The cardiometabolic risk factors associated with the MetS were relatively stable among white children and adolescents in the normal risk category. Changes in status were common if the risk factor was elevated.