OBJECTIVE: Evaluate metabolic syndrome in overweight/obese children and adolescents and to study the association between this syndrome and socioeconomic variables, physical activity and familiar cardiovascular risk. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 59 children and adolescents with overweight/obesity in an outpatient university clinic, from January 2004 to June 2006. The following variables were studied: socioeconomic level, maternal schooling, familiar cardiovascular risk and physical activity. Body mass index (BMI) percentile was used to classify the nutritional status. Metabolic syndrome was considered when three or more of the following were present: triglycerides >110mg/dL or HDL-c <40mg/dL, waist circumference >90th percentile, insulin resistance (glucose level >100mg/dL) and blood pressure BP >90th percentile. Descriptive statistical analysis was applied. RESULTADOS: Out of the 59 children, mean age was 10.9±0.48 years and 52.5% were male. Metabolic syndrome was present in 42.4%. Altered components of the metabolic syndrome were: abdominal circumference in 88.1%, blood pressure 47.5%, insulin resistance 23.7%, triglycerides 42.4% and HDL-c 6.8%. No significant association was found between the presence of metabolic syndrome and gender, age, pubertal development, per capita income, maternal schooling, daily hours of TV viewing, weekly hours of physical activity (p=0.942) or familiar cardiovascular risk. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is high among the evaluated overweight/obese children and adolescents. Altered abdominal circumference and high blood pressure were the most frequent components of the syndrome.
obesity; insulin resistance; child; adolescent; abdominal circumference
