title: Tracking of clustered cardiovascular disease risk factors from childhood to adolescence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clustering of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors has been found in children as young as 9 y of age. However, the stability of this clustering over the course of childhood has yet to be determined. The purpose of this study was to determine the tracking of clustered CVD risk from young school age through adolescence and to examine differences in tracking between levels of overweight/obesity and cardiorespiratory fitness (VO(2peak)).
  
  
  METHODS
  Beginning at 6 y, children (n = 434) were measured three times in 7 y. Anthropometrics, blood pressure, and VO(2peak) were measured. Fasting blood samples were analyzed for CVD risk factors. A clustered risk score (z-score) was constructed by adding sex-specific z-scores for blood pressure, homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR), triglyceride (TG), skinfolds, and negative values of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) and VO(2peak).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant tracking coefficients were found between clustered z-score at all time intervals (r = 0.514, 0.559, and 0.381 between ages 6-9, 9-13, and 6-13 y, respectively, all P < 0.0001). Tracking was higher for low-fit children, whereas no clear pattern was found for different levels of body fat.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that clustered z-score is a fairly stable characteristic through childhood. Implementation of preventive strategies could therefore start at early school age.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Research in Childhood Health, Institute of Sport Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. anbugge@health.sdu.dk
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bugge
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: El-Naaman
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: McMurray
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Froberg
authors.forename: Lars Bo
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Andersen
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010809:Physical Fitness; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012885:Skinfold Thickness
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers