title: Association of visceral fat and risk factors for metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Visceral fat (VF) is closely associated with many metabolic risk factors and is also known to be a strong predictive factor for severe metabolic complications in adults. But there are only a few studies concerning the association of VF and risk factors for metabolic syndrome (MS) in children and adolescents. In our study, we emphasized the association of VF [measured by VF computed tomography (VFCT)] and risk factors for metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were outpatients aged 6 to 18 years who underwent VFCT in the family medicine of The Catholic University of Korea from January 2005 to August 2009. There were 82 patients in total (42 children, 40 adolescents). Height, weight, blood pressure (BP), blood tests, body composition analysis and VF were measured. The three groups were also classified by metabolic score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In children, only high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) showed a statistically significant difference, while in adolescents, triglyceride, HDL-C, BP, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and VFA showed statistically significant differences. In terms of VFA, fasting glucose, BP, BMI, basal metabolic rate (BMR) and WC showed statistically significant differences. BMI showed a statistically significant difference in terms of BP, BMR, WC, VFA and HDL-C.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need to acknowledge the statistically significant associations of VF and risk factors for MS in children and adolescents. Screening tests for BP, cholesterol, fasting glucose and WC should be given in clinics for children and adolescents so that MS can be detected and its risk factors treated early.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Uijeongbu, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong-Hyeon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Han-Yun
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Min-Jin
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Jun-Seung
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Rho
authors.forename: Ju-Hye
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Keun-Sang
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Yum
authors.forename: Ji-Whan
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference / Q000502:physiology