title: BMI and lipid levels in Mexican American children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine potential associations between obesity as measured by body mass index (BMI) and lipid values in Mexican American (MA) children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Obesity in children is considered to be an emerging epidemic that is accompanied by an increase in prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Literature shows that there is a direct and strong relationship between abnormal lipid levels and obesity in Caucasian and African American children without type 2 diabetes. However, it was unknown whether Mexican American children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes have abnormal lipid levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective medical-record review was conducted on paediatric patients who received medical care from a military medical centre in the Southwest region of the United States. A convenience sample of records was used to study the relationship between obesity as measured by BMI and lipid levels in 49 Mexican American children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides (TG), and BMI were reviewed. Data were analysed using descriptive and logistic regression statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety percent of the sample was obese and 75% had two or more abnormal lipid values. Abnormal levels of total cholesterol, HDL, and triglycerides were found to be statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main findings indicate that MA children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes had significant associations between obesity as measured by BMI and abnormal total cholesterol, HDL, and triglyceride levels. As the BMI increased, the probability of abnormal total cholesterol and triglyceride levels increased. Similarly, as the BMI increased, the probability of abnormal HDL values increased. Mexican American children in this study had obesity levels similar to those in a study by the National Center for Health Statistics. In this study a step has been taken toward understanding a physiologic marker for cardiovascular disease in children.
authors.affiliation: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. fortmeiers@uthscsa.edu
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fortmeier-Saucier
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Savrin
authors.forename: Marjorie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heinzer
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hudak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000208:ethnology*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D016015:Logistic Models; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015206:Southwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids