Differences in the prevalence of metabolic disorders between prepubertal  boys and girls from 5 to 8 years of age.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of metabolic abnormalities, and differences between the sexes, in prepubertal overweight and normal weight children aged from 5 to 8 years, without any signs of health impairments or metabolic disturbances at the time of recruitment.


METHODS
General health status and inflammatory markers were assessed in 100 overweight and 51 normal weight children, who were living in Germany and had undergone mandatory medical examinations. The study comprised of 81 girls and 70 boys.


RESULTS
Despite being recruited as healthy, 73% of the overweight children and 16% of the normal weight children were found to suffer from one or more metabolic abnormalities, such as hypertension or insulin resistance. Girls with a body mass index (BMI) percentile of ≥80th showed an increased susceptibility to metabolic disorders, and a similar effect was found for boys with a BMI percentile of ≥95th. Plasma levels of proinflammatory markers, such as plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and leptin, were also significantly higher in overweight than normal weight children.


CONCLUSIONS
Metabolic and cardiovascular abnormalities and pro-inflammatory markers were prevalent in overweight prepubertal children. The prevalence rates appeared to differ between the sexes.
Ina B
IB
Maier
Yelda
Y
Özel
Anna Janina
AJ
Engstler
Sonja
S
Puchinger
Sabine
S
Wagnerberger
Martin
M
Hulpke-Wette
Stephan C
SC
Bischoff
Ina
I
Bergheim
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors