Anthropometric characteristics of adolescents with signs of metabolic syndrome

Abstract

An analysis of recent global research on the prevalence of obesity and its consequences, including metabolic syndrome, among adolescents is a matter of considerable concern. The same unfavorable tendencies are observed in Ukraine among modern youth. Therefore, an effective strategy for the detection and follow-up of adolescents is urgently needed for the timely treatment of obesity and the prevention of threatening complications.

Purpose — to analyze and generalize anthropometrical indicators in adolescents with signs of metabolic syndrome to improve the management of this category of patients.

Materials and methods. 200 obese adolescents (aged 16 years: 100 boys and 100 girls) were examined in the clinic of the Institute of Children and Adolescents Health Care of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine. The control group consisted of 30 healthy children of the same age category. The criteria for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome (MS) in children, proposed by the International Diabetes Federation [IDF, 2007], were used, which allowed to divide patients into two groups: 1 — with signs of MS (50.0%) and 2 — without signs of MS (50.0%), each of which included 100 patients. Patients underwent an anthropometric examination with the calculation of the following indicators: body mass index (BMI), the waist;to;growth ratio (WC/height) and waist circumference to hip circumference ratio (WC/HC). Blood lipid profile as a marker of atherogenesis, carbohydrate metabolism (fasting serum glucose, the level of immunoreactive insulin with the calculation of insulin resistance index HOMA) were also studied in detail.

Results. The anthropometric analysis showed that in adolescents with MS the main indicators (BMI, WC/height, WC/HC), the degree of abdominal obesity were statistically significantly higher (p<0.05). When comparing the results by gender, probable differences were found between boys and girls: indicators of body weight, waist circumference, WC/HC, which were statistically significantly higher in boys (p<0.05). Characterization of lipid metabolism in the patients showed signs of atherogenic dyslipidemia (increased cholesterol levels, low and very low density lipoproteins, atherogenic factor, triglycerides, β-lipoproteins levels and tendencies to lower the levels of high density lipoproteins) with a significant predominance among those surveyed with MS (p<0.05).

Conclusions. Promising careful anthropometric monitoring of obese adolescents will identify and predict trends in the disease, the risk of complications, which will increase the effectiveness of preventive measures for metabolic syndrome.

The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of all participating institution. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies.

No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.