[Characterization of obese children with and without metabolic syndrome in a pediatric hospital].

BACKGROUND

The alterations caused by metabolic syndrome (MS) arise progressively throughout the years, but they can start at a pediatric age. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the biochemical and clinical characteristics of obese children with or without MS.

METHODS

Descriptive cross-sectional study, in which we analyzed, according to the 2010 classification of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 103 obese children between 10 and 15 years from an endocrinology service. The variables were weight, size, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), glucose, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, insulin, and HOMA. Means were compared statistically with Student's t test, and Mann-Whitney U.

RESULTS

Of 103 patients, 55 showed criteria for MS (53.3 %) and 48 incomplete criteria for MS (46.6 %). In the group without MS, 60.4 and 64.5 % showed insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia, respectively. In all the group, 28.1 % showed arterial hypertension, and 23.3 % prehypertension. With regards to the means of other parameters that does not belong to the MS, we obtained weight (p = 0.008), BMI (p = 0.009), insulin (p = 0.027) and HOMA (p = 0.023). More than 60 % showed pre-diabetes and almost 50 % blood pressure alterations.

CONCLUSION

It is urgent to perform a screening in obese children, as well as an awareness campaign in mass media, in order to spread the gravity of the problem and trigger the search of medical help, and of health professionals to establish their diagnosis.