title: Metabolic syndrome in overweight and obese Japanese children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of and sex differences related to the metabolic syndrome among obese and overweight elementary school children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were 471 overweight or obese Japanese children. Children meeting at least three of the following five criteria qualified as having the metabolic syndrome: abdominal obesity, elevated blood pressure, low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels, high triglyceride levels, and high fasting glucose levels. Fasting insulin levels were also examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Japanese obese children were found to have a significantly lower prevalence (17.7%) of the metabolic syndrome than U.S. obese adolescents (28.7%, p = 0.0014). However, Japanese overweight children had a similar incidence (8.7%) of the metabolic syndrome compared with U.S. overweight adolescents (6.8%). Hyperinsulinemia in girls and abdominal obesity in boys are characteristic features of individual metabolic syndrome factors in Japanese children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome is not lower in preteen Japanese overweight children than in U.S. overweight adolescents, although it is significantly lower in Japanese obese preteen children than in U.S. obese adolescents. Primary and secondary interventions are needed for overweight preteen children in Japan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Cardiovascular Center, Shiroyama-cho 8-1, Kagoshima 892-0853, Japan. m-yoshi@q.jun2.hosp.go.jp
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshinaga
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shimago
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sameshima
authors.forename: Junichiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nishi
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hashiguchi
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ichiki
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006946:Hyperinsulinism / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology