Comparison between serum insulin levels and its resistance with biochemical, clinical and anthropometric parameters in South Indian children and adolescents.

There is a rising trend in the prevalence of insulin resistance among obese, overweight children and adolescents. The serum insulin and its correlation with biochemical, clinical and anthropometric parameters were evaluated in 185 children and adolescents (59 control, 52 obese, 49 overweight, 25 congenital heart disease) of age group 10-17 years. The levels of serum insulin were measured by ELISA. Serum insulin levels were found to be significantly increased in children who were obese, overweight and had congenital heart disease, than controls. Serum insulin levels positively correlated with BMI, WHR, and serum C-peptide, serum leptin, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Fasting glucose levels were found to be negatively correlated with serum insulin levels. HDL-cholesterol levels were non-significant among the study groups. We identified nine obese children (five girls and four boys) with the features of metabolic syndrome and 69% of obese and overweight children were identified with insulin resistance. Insulin resistance was strongly associated with metabolic syndrome and its components, especially with central obesity and hypertriglyceridemia.