title: Obesity and metabolic syndrome in adolescent survivors of standard risk childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study estimated prevalence of unhealthy weight status and metabolic syndrome (MS) amongst Saudi survivors of standard risk ALL.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 56 survivors, mean age 13.4 years (SD 4.1), a mean of 9.1 years (SD 4.1) post-diagnosis. The BMI for age was used to define weight status relative to national (Saudi) and international (Cole et al., Cole-IOTF, WHO, and CDC) reference data. We measured body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), waist circumference, blood pressure, lipid profile (HDL-C, Triglycerides), fasting glucose and insulin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to international definitions based on BMI for age, around half of the sample had unhealthy weight status. All of the approaches based on BMI for age underestimated overfatness, present in 27/51 (53%) of the sample according to DXA. Prevalence of MS was 7.1% (3/42 of those over 9-years old) and 5.4% (3/56) by applying the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) definition and National Cholesterol Education Program Third Adult Treatment panel Guidelines (NCEP III), respectively. However, MS by the NCEP III definition was present in 19% of the overweight and obese survivors and 7.1% of the sample had at least two of the components of MS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unhealthy body weight and overfatness may be common amongst adolescent Saudi survivors of standard risk ALL, though overweight and obesity may be no more common than in the general Saudi adolescent population. Defining weight status using BMI underestimates overfatness. Ideally, body composition and cardiometabolic risk factors should be monitored at late effects clinics.
authors.affiliation: College of Medical, Veterinary, and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Fahad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aldhafiri
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Nasser
authors.forename: Abdulaziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Sugair
authors.forename: Hanan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Al-Mutairi
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Reilly
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D017741:Survivors; D013997:Time Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides