title: Cardiometabolic risk among Saudi children and adolescents: Saudi childrens overweight, obesity, and lifestyles (S.Ch.O.O.Ls) study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease are major contributors to the global burden of disease, with a high reported prevalence of risk factors among different populations. Early and efficient assessment of cardiometabolic risk is important to identify target groups for preventive interventions. The aims of Saudi children's overweight, obesity, and lifestyles study were to estimate the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and to compare the different paradigms of assessing such risk among children and adolescents. The study was funded by National Guard Health Affairs and approved by the ethics committee.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study of students from primary, middle, and secondary schools located in the residential areas for the Saudi National Guard employees in Riyadh.
  
  
  METHODS
  A random sample of 2149 students, clustered by school and stratified by grade, was selected from a sampling frame of 16 812 students from 10 schools in the residential areas for Saudi National Guard employees. Informed consent was taken from children and parents. Blood pressure, height, weight, waist circumference, and hip circumference were documented. Fasting blood samples were taken for blood glucose and lipid profile.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of metabolic syndrome ranged from 2% to 18%, according to the sensitivity of the 6 different definitions. Systolic blood pressure and triglycerides-to-HDL (high-density lipoprotein) ratio showed a dose-response increase with the quartiles of waist circumference and body mass index (BMI). Assessment of cardiometabolic risk by diagnosing the metabolic syndrome would lead to missed opportunity of intervention in 94% to 95% of children identified to be in need of intervention by waist circumference and BMI above 75th percentile.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Relying on the diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome can harm primary preventive initiatives. BMI and waist circumference for age should be used for assessing cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Fahad Abdullah Al-Hussein, Department of Family and Community Medicine,, College of Medicine, King Saud Ibn AbdulAziz University for Health Sciences,, King Abdulaziz Medical City,, National Guard Health Affairs,, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, T: +966112520088 loc. 1514, F: +966112520305, husseininf@ngha.med.sa.
authors.forename: Fahad Abdullah
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Al-Hussein
authors.forename: Waleed
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tamimi
authors.forename: Esam
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Al Banyan
authors.forename: Yasmin A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Al-Twaijri
authors.forename: Hani
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tamim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001786:Blood Glucose; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D066067:Military Family; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; C034396:HDL-triglyceride; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides