title: Metabolic syndrome in adolescents: definition based on regression of IDF adult cut-off points.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to derive a sex- and age-specific definition of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its abnormalities for adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1100 adolescent students, aged 12-18 y, were randomly selected from schools and classrooms in the city of Constantine, Algeria; all had anthropometric measurements taken, and 989 had blood tests. Gender-specific growth curves for components of the MetS were derived, using the LMS (lambda-mu-sigma) method, and the percentiles corresponding to the thresholds of the MetS components proposed for adults by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) were identified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of the MetS using this new definition was 4.3% for boys and 3.7% for girls (P = 0.64). Overall, a high waist circumference was the most frequent of the syndrome components, but the frequency was much higher in girls than that in boys, 33.6% and 6.9%, respectively. In contrast, a high systolic blood pressure was seen in 26.8% of the boys and only 11.4% of the girls. The prevalence of the MetS was higher among adolescents with a body mass index (BMI) ≥95th percentile of the study population, 28.8%, against 9.8% in adolescents with a BMI between the 95th and 85th percentile and 1.8% in those with a BMI <85th percentile (P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MetS during adolescence requires more studies to establish a consensus definition. For clinical practice, we propose a simplified definition for boys and girls based on regression of IDF adult cut-off points. This definition should be tested in further studies with other adolescent populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology Diabetology and Nutrition, Ben Badis University Hospital, Metabolic Diseases Research Laboratory, University of Constantine 3, Algeria. Electronic address: benmohamsana@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Benmohammed
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology Diabetology Nutrition, Jean Verdier Hospital, AP-HP, Paris Nord University, CRNH-IdF, CINFO, Bondy, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valensi
authors.affiliation: Inserm, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health (CESP), U1018, Epidemiology Of Diabetes, Obesity and Chronic Renal Disease Over the Lifecourse, F-94807, Villejuif, France; Univ Paris-Sud, UMRS 1018, F-94807, Villejuif, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Balkau
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology Diabetology and Nutrition, Ben Badis University Hospital, Metabolic Diseases Research Laboratory, University of Constantine 3, Algeria.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lezzar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000462:Algeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D007390:International Agencies; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012015:Reference Standards; D012044:Regression Analysis; D017678:Sex Distribution; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D055105:Waist Circumference
keywords: Adolescent; Insulin resistance; Metabolic syndrome; Obesity; Waist circumference