title: BMI, total and abdominal fat distribution, and cardiovascular risk factors in school-age children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  More specific total body and abdominal fat mass measures might be stronger associated with cardiovascular risk factors in childhood, than BMI. We examined the independent associations of total and abdominal fat measures with cardiovascular risk factors in school age children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a population-based cohort study among 6,523 children. At the age of 6 y, we measured childhood BMI, and general and abdominal fat mass, using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and ultrasound and cardiovascular risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Conditional on BMI, higher fat mass percentage and abdominal fat mass were associated with higher blood pressure, total- and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, insulin and c-peptide levels, but with lower left ventricular mass and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (P values < 0.05). These associations differed between underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese children. Higher childhood adiposity measures were associated with increased odds of cardiovascular risk factors clustering, with the strongest effect for fat mass percentage (odds ratios: 3.01 (95% confidence interval: 2.67, 3.9).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that general and abdominal fat measures are associated with cardiovascular risk factors in childhood, independent from BMI. These measures may provide additional information for identification of children with an adverse cardiovascular profile.
authors: 1] The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands [2] Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands [3] Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Olta
authors: O
authors: Gishti
authors: 1] The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands [2] Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands [3] Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Romy
authors: R
authors: Gaillard
authors: The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Busra
authors: B
authors: Durmus
authors: Nutricia Research, Danone Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Marieke
authors: M
authors: Abrahamse
authors: Nutricia Research, Danone Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Eline M
authors: EM
authors: van der Beek
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Albert
authors: A
authors: Hofman
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Oscar H
authors: OH
authors: Franco
authors: 1] The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands [2] Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands [3] Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Layla L
authors: LL
authors: de Jonge
authors: 1] The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands [2] Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands [3] Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Vincent W V
authors: VW
authors: Jaddoe
mesh_terms: D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000473:pathology*; D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D050154:Adiposity; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference