Higher metabolic syndrome in obese asthmatic compared to obese nonasthmatic adolescent males.
The relationship between asthma and obesity has been documented in children and adolescents; however, few studies on metabolic syndrome and asthma have been performed.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in adolescents among the following groups: obese with asthma (OA), obese without asthma (ONA), nonobese with asthma (NOA), and nonobese without asthma (NONA).


METHODS
The authors measured anthropometric (height, weight, waist circumference, body mass index, and waist-hip ratio), clinical (Tanner stage, blood pressure, fat and muscle reserve, and exercise), and biochemical parameters (basal and load glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoproteins, uric acid, and insulin) in 500 Mexican adolescents.


RESULTS
A total of 111 OA, 198 ONA, 63 NOA, and 71 NONA adolescents completed the study. There were no differences in age, height, Tanner stage, high-density lipoproteins, or basal glucose among groups. Cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, basal insulin, and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA)-IR were significantly higher among the obese than nonobese groups but were similar between the OA and ONA groups. The prevalence of impaired fasting glucose was significantly higher among ONA versus OA males. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (define as > or =3 abnormal cardiometabolic risk factors by de Ferranti, Cook, and International Diabetes Federation [IDF] criteria) was higher among OA teens than in the ONA group; however, this association was significant only among males. Adolescents from the ONA group were able to perform significantly more vigorous exercise than the other groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescent males who were obese and also had mild persistent asthma had a significantly higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome than obese males without asthma. However, overall, asthma seems to confer a protective effect against the prediabetes condition in males.
Del-Rio-Navarro
Blanca E
BE
Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gomez, México D.F., México.
Castro-Rodriguez
Jose A
JA
Garibay Nieto
Nayely
N
Berber
Arturo
A
Toussaint
Gerogina
G
Sienra-Monge
Juan J
JJ
Romieu
Isabel
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000886:Anthropometry; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index