title: Presence of the metabolic syndrome in obese children at prepubertal age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is a strong debate on the diagnosis and early phenotypic expression of the metabolic syndrome in children. The aim of the present study was to examine the frequency of the metabolic syndrome using various definitions in obese prepubertal and pubertal children.
  
  
  METHODS
  478 (213 females and 265 males) obese children were recruited in three provinces of Spain. Blood pressure (BP), waist circumference, and weight and height were measured, and body mass index was calculated. Glucose, insulin, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triacylglycerols were determined. We classified the children according to seven different proposed definitions of the metabolic syndrome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regardless of the definition used, the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (8.3-34.2%) was relatively high in obese children in the prepubertal period as well as in pubertal children (9.7-41.2%). We performed a principal-factor analysis to explain correlations among features of the metabolic syndrome and found that glucose metabolism (factor 1), dyslipidemia (factor 2) and obesity/BP (factor 3) explained 72% of the total variance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Irrespective of the classification used, the metabolic syndrome is not only present in pubertal but also in prepubertal children. International definitions of the metabolic syndrome should also consider criteria specific for children in the prepubertal period, i.e. children aged <10 years.
authors: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Center of Biomedical Research, Lab 123, University of Granada, Armilla, Spain.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Olza
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Gil-Campos
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Leis
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Bueno
authors: C M
authors: CM
authors: Aguilera
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Valle
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Cañete
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Tojo
authors: L A
authors: LA
authors: Moreno
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Gil
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015995:Prevalence; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011627:Puberty; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology