title: Cardiometabolic risk: leg fat is protective during childhood.
abstract: Childhood obesity is associated with early cardiometabolic risk (CMR), increased risk of adulthood obesity, and worse health outcomes. Leg fat mass (LFM) is protective beyond total fat mass (TFM) in adults. However, the limited evidence in children remains controversial.
  
  
  
  We investigated the relationship between LFM and CMR factors in youth.
  
  
  
  A total of 203 overweight/obese children, 7-17-yr-old, followed in the Pediatric Clinic, Luxembourg.
  
  
  
  TFM and LFM by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and a detailed set of CMR markers were analyzed.
  
  
  
  After TFM, age, sex, body mass index (BMI) Z-score, sexual maturity status, and physical activity adjustments, negative significant partial correlations were shown between LFM and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA) (variance explained: 6.05% by LFM*; 7.18% by TFM**), fasting insulin (variance explained: 5.71% by LFM*; 6.97% by TFM**), triglycerides (variance explained: 3.96% by LFM*; 2.76% by TFM*), systolic blood pressure (variance explained: 2.68% by LFM*; 4.33% by TFM*), C-reactive protein (variance explained: 2.31% by LFM*; 4.28% by TFM*), and resistin (variance explained: 2.16% by LFM*; 3.57% by TFM*). Significant positive partial correlations were observed between LFM and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (variance explained: 4.16% by LFM*) and adiponectin (variance explained: 3.09% by LFM*) (*p-value < 0.05 and **p-value < 0.001). In order to adjust for multiple testing, Benjamini-Hochberg method was applied and the adjusted significance level was determined for each analysis. LFM remained significant in the aforementioned models predicting HOMA, fasting insulin, triglycerides, and HDL cholesterol (Benjamini and Hochberg corrected p-value < 0.01).
  
  
  
  LFM is protective against CMR in children, at least in terms of insulin resistance and adverse blood lipid profiles.
authors.affiliation: Population Health Department, Center for Health Studies, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Strassen, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Hanen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Samouda
authors.affiliation: Diabetes & Endocrinology Care Clinique Pédiatrique (DECCP), Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Carine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Beaufort
authors.affiliation: Population Health Department, Center for Health Studies, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Strassen, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Saverio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stranges
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department, ZithaKlinik, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Van Nieuwenhuyse
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dooms
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biology, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gilson
authors.affiliation: Norlux Neuro-Oncology Laboratory, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Strassen, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Keunen
authors.affiliation: Centre of Competence for Methodology and Statistics (CCMS), Luxembourg Institute of Health, Strassen, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.affiliation: Santé et Prospectives, Sanem, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vaillant
authors.affiliation: Population Health Department, Center for Health Studies, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Strassen, Luxembourg.|Santé et Prospectives, Sanem, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Marie-Lise
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Lair
authors.affiliation: Population Health Department, Center for Health Studies, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Strassen, Luxembourg.|Endocrinology and Diabetology Department, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dadoun
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D050154:Adiposity; D000293:Adolescent; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: DXA; cardiometabolic risk; fat mass; leg fat; visceral fat