title: Childhood adiposity: being male is a potential cardiovascular risk factor.
abstract: As the earliest atherosclerotic lesions begin during childhood, our aim was to correlate gender-related adiposity to classical cardiovascular risk factors in a group of children.An observational and transversal analysis was carried out in a cohort consisting of 161 children of both sexes, aged 6 to 17 years of age. Waist circumference was correlated to leptin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, plasma lipids, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance, and the left ventricular mass index. After adjusting for age, waist circumference in boys, compared to girls, correlated more strongly and directly to systolic (r = 0.538; p < 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (ρ = 0.401; p < 0.01), ApoB/ApoA ratio (ρ = 0.515; p < 0.01), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = -0.441; p < 0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (ρ = 0.280; p < 0.01), triglycerides (ρ = 0.420; p < 0.001), homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (ρ = 0.463; p < 0.001), and the left ventricular mass index (ρ = 0.286; p < 0.01). A similar pattern was observed regarding the correlations between leptin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and the above parameters (except between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and diastolic blood pressure), and also, particularly in boys.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although increased childhood adiposity is related to a more adverse metabolic and clinical profile in both genders, males appear to have a potentially greater cardiovascular risk.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Obesity is characterized by a chronic low-grade inflammatory process.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Increased adiposity is related to a more pronounced pro-inflammatory response in boys. Childhood male adiposity is a potentially greater cardiovascular risk factor. Arterial hypertension, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia is more strongly correlated to waist circumference in boys.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Pediátrico de Coimbra, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, EPE, Coimbra, Portugal. pires1961@gmail.com.
authors.forename: António
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pires
authors.affiliation: Hospital Pediátrico de Coimbra, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, EPE, Coimbra, Portugal. paula_mrtns@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Fisiologia, Instituto Biomédico de Investigação de Luz e Imagem (IBILI) da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. cmargp@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ana Margarida
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Estatística da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra, Instituto Biomédico de Investigação da Luz e Imagem (IBILI), Coimbra, Portugal. m.marques.pt@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Margarida
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.affiliation: Hospital Pediátrico de Coimbra, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, EPE, Coimbra, Portugal. ecastela@chc.min-saude.pt.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Castela
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Fisiologia, Instituto Biomédico de Investigação de Luz e Imagem (IBILI) da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. cmsena33@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sena
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Fisiologia, Instituto Biomédico de Investigação de Luz e Imagem (IBILI) da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. rmfseica@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Seiça
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D001053:Apolipoproteins; D020738:Leptin; D008055:Lipids
keywords: Adiposity; Dyslipidemia; Hypertension; Insulin resistance; Pediatric