Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Center of Biomedical Research, Lab 123, University of Granada, Armilla, Spain.
Ann Nutr Metab. 2011 Oct;58(4):343-50. doi: 10.1159/000331996. Epub 2011 Oct 13.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: There is a strong debate on the diagnosis and early phenotypic expression of the metabolic syndrome in children. The aim of the present study was to examine the frequency of the metabolic syndrome using various definitions in obese prepubertal and pubertal children.
478 (213 females and 265 males) obese children were recruited in three provinces of Spain. Blood pressure (BP), waist circumference, and weight and height were measured, and body mass index was calculated. Glucose, insulin, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triacylglycerols were determined. We classified the children according to seven different proposed definitions of the metabolic syndrome.
Regardless of the definition used, the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (8.3-34.2%) was relatively high in obese children in the prepubertal period as well as in pubertal children (9.7-41.2%). We performed a principal-factor analysis to explain correlations among features of the metabolic syndrome and found that glucose metabolism (factor 1), dyslipidemia (factor 2) and obesity/BP (factor 3) explained 72% of the total variance.
Irrespective of the classification used, the metabolic syndrome is not only present in pubertal but also in prepubertal children. International definitions of the metabolic syndrome should also consider criteria specific for children in the prepubertal period, i.e. children aged <10 years.
背景/目的：对于儿童代谢综合征的诊断和早期表型表达存在强烈的争论。本研究的目的是在肥胖的青春期前和青春期儿童中使用各种定义来检查代谢综合征的发生频率。
在西班牙的三个省份招募了 478 名肥胖儿童（213 名女性和 265 名男性）。测量血压（BP）、腰围、体重和身高，并计算体重指数。测定血糖、胰岛素、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇和三酰甘油。我们根据七种不同的代谢综合征定义对儿童进行分类。
无论使用哪种定义，青春期前和青春期肥胖儿童的代谢综合征患病率（8.3%-34.2%）相对较高（9.7%-41.2%）。我们进行了主成分分析以解释代谢综合征特征之间的相关性，发现葡萄糖代谢（因子 1）、血脂异常（因子 2）和肥胖/血压（因子 3）解释了总方差的 72%。
无论使用哪种分类方法，代谢综合征不仅存在于青春期，也存在于青春期前的儿童中。代谢综合征的国际定义也应考虑到青春期前儿童的特定标准，即<10 岁的儿童。
