Cardiovascular risk factors, their associations and presence of metabolic syndrome in adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the occurrence of metabolic syndrome (MS) and independent associated risk factors in adolescents in the city of Vitória, Brazil.


METHODS
We assessed 380 adolescents aged 10 to 14 years attending public schools. Body mass index and blood pressure at rest were measured. Fasting plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose were also obtained.


RESULTS
The prevalence of overweight was 9.6% for boys and 7.4% for girls, while obesity was found in 6.2 and 4.9%, respectively. Triglyceride concentrations were borderline or high in 6.8 and 3.4% of the boys and in 11.8 and 5.9% of the girls. HDL-cholesterol was below recommended levels in 8.5% of the boys and in 9.9% of the girls. Blood pressure at rest was borderline for 5.1% of the boys and 7.9% of the girls, while 3.4% of both boys and girls were hypertensive. Fasting glycemia was high in 0.6% of the boys and in 0.5% of the girls. In the group studied, 2.8% of the boys and 2.5% of the girls had two risk factors associated with MS. Prevalence of MS was 1.1% for boys and 1.5% for girls, and overall prevalence was 1.3%.


CONCLUSIONS
MS and associated cardiovascular risk factors are serious clinical conditions in this age group. A significant number of adolescents showed borderline results, which may increase the prevalence of MS or independent risk factors in the short term. More investments should be made in primary prevention, considering that early diagnosis is an issue of fundamental importance.
Rodrigues
Anabel Nunes
AN
Centro Universitário do Espírito Santo (UNESC), Colatina, ES, Brazil. anabel@anabelnunes.org
Perez
Anselmo José
AJ
Pires
José Guilherme Pinheiro
JG
Carletti
Luciana
L
Araújo
Maria Tereza Martins de
MT
Moyses
Margareth Ribeiro
MR
Bissoli
Nazaré Souza
NS
Abreu
Gláucia Rodrigues de
GR
D000293:Adolescent; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D001786:Blood Glucose; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol