Abstract:

To investigate the frequency and characteristics of metabolic syndrome (MS) in overweight and obese children. We included 102 overweight and obese cases without systemic, endocrine, or neurological diseases who applied to Istanbul Okmeydanı Training and Research Hospital Pediatrics Outpatient Clinic in the study. We investigated the patients in terms of MS clinical findings, anthropometric measurements, laboratory results (insulin resistance, blood glucose, 'high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (HDL-C), 'low-density lipoprotein' (LDL) cholesterol (LDL-C), 'very low' Density lipoprotein (CLDL) cholesterol (VLDL-C), triglyceride, C-reactive protein (CRP), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), urea and creatinine levels), and family histories. Modified "National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III" (NCEP ATP III) criteria were used to diagnose MS. The mean age of the cases was 10.14±2.56 years (min:4 max:15 years), 52.9% (n=54) were female, 47.1% (n=48) were male. Of the children and adolescents included in the study, 28.4% (n: 29) were overweight and 71.6% (n: 73) were obese. The prevalence of MS in obese and overweight patients was 50.6% (n:37) and 37.9% (n=11), respectively. In the MS(+) group compared to the MS(-) group, having MS in the family history (p=0.021), insulin resistance (p<0.001), high fasting blood glucose (p=0.008), acanthosis nigricans (p=0.021), hypertension (p=0.001), increase in waist circumference (p=0.014), high CRP (p=0.048), high triglyceride (p=0.008), high VLDL-C (p=0.002) and low HDL-C (p=0.047) ) was statistically significant. Examination and follow-up of overweight patients in terms of Metabolic syndrome is required, just like obese patients. Multicenter prospective studies are needed to determine the frequency of MS in our country.

Keywords: