title: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk factors in a group of obese Saudi children and adolescents: a hospital-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We assessed the distribution of risk factors associated with the metabolic syndrome in a group of obese Saudi children and adolescents. No previous studies had addressed this issue in the Saudi pediatric population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients evaluated for obesity between 2004 and 2008 and collected data on age, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), BP, fasting lipid profile, fasting glucose, insulin concentrations, and insulin resistance based on the homeostasis assessment model-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) score. Obesity was defined as a BMI above the 95th percentile for age and gender and metabolic syndrome was diagnosed according to standard criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied 57 obese Saudi children and adolescents with a mean (standard deviation) age of 9.8 (3.5) years. Mean weight and body mass index (BMI) were 63.7 (28.3) kg and 31.6 (8.0) kg/m(2) , respectively. Systolic BP was elevated in 24 (42%) of the 57 subjects. Of the 39 children who had a lipid profile in their records, 10 had hypertriglyceridemia, 8 had hypercholesterolemia, 6 had elevated LDL cholesterol levels, and 6 had low HDL cholesterol levels. Impaired fasting glucose was found in 10 of 38 patients in which it was measured, and 9 of 25 patients had fasting hyperinsulinemia. Eleven of 37 patients (29.7%) met the diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome. Diastolic BP correlated positively with BMI (r=0.440, P =.001), and HDL cholesterol correlated negatively with weight and BMI (r=-0.487, P =.002 and r=-0.317, P =.05). HOMA-IR correlated positively with BMI and triglyceride levels and negatively with HDL cholesterol levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obese Saudi children and adolescents have multiple risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, PO Box 40047, Jeddah 21499, Saudi Arabia. dtaha@kfshrc.edu.sa
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Taha
authors.forename: Omaima
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Bakr
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: bin Sadiq
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006946:Hyperinsulinism / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose
references.citation: Diabetes. 2002 Jan;51(1):204-9
references.pmid: 11756342
references.citation: Pediatrics. 2004 Aug;114(2 Suppl 4th Report):555-76
references.pmid: 15286277
references.citation: Saudi Med J. 2007 Oct;28(10):1569-74
references.pmid: 17914521
references.citation: Arch Intern Med. 1994 Aug 22;154(16):1842-7
references.pmid: 8053753
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 1998 Jun 4;338(23):1650-6
references.pmid: 9614255
references.citation: Diabet Med. 1998 Jul;15(7):539-53
references.pmid: 9686693
references.citation: Saudi Med J. 2008 Jun;29(6):884-7
references.pmid: 18521471
references.citation: J Pediatr. 2008 Feb;152(2):201-6
references.pmid: 18206689
references.citation: Saudi Med J. 2007 May;28(5):766-73
references.pmid: 17457449
references.citation: Am J Clin Nutr. 1991 Apr;53(4):839-46
references.pmid: 2008861
references.citation: Diabetes Care. 2008 Jan;31 Suppl 1:S55-60
references.pmid: 18165338
references.citation: East Mediterr Health J. 2007 Mar-Apr;13(2):441-8
references.pmid: 17684864
references.citation: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Jan;89(1):108-13
references.pmid: 14715836
references.citation: JAMA. 1997 Dec 3;278(21):1749-54
references.pmid: 9388151
references.citation: Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2003 Aug;157(8):821-7
references.pmid: 12912790
references.citation: Diabetologia. 1985 Jul;28(7):412-9
references.pmid: 3899825