OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in adolescents followed in an outpatient obesity clinic. METHODS: 84 adolescents (ten to 19 years old) were divided in two groups, one composed by overweight adolescents (OWG) and the other, by obese adolescents (OBG), according to Z scores of the body mass index (Z BMI). OWG: Z BMI>1 and <2 (1.6±0.2; 13M/13F) and OBG: Z BMI>2 (2.4±0.6; 32M/26F). Three or more criteria were considered to define the presence of metabolic syndrome and tested by chi-square: Z BMI>2; fasting triglycerides >130mg/dL; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol <35mg/dL; fasting glucose >100mg/dL or homeostatic model assessment index (HOMA) >2.5 and blood pressure above the 90th percentile, adjusted for age, gender and length. RESULTS: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was significantly elevated in obese adolescents (OBG: 40% versus OWG: 4%, p=0.0008). The major differences between groups were observed regarding the presence in OBG adolescents of hyperinsulinism (54% versus 19%, p=0.003), HOMA (66% versus 38%, p=0.01) and hypertriglyceridemia (21% versus 4%, p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: It is important to be aware of the early signs of metabolic syndrome in obese adolescents, which can be screened by simple techniques. As the syndrome correlates to chronic illnesses, early detection and adequate prevention by pediatricians is mandatory.
X syndrome; adolescent; obesity; cardiovascular diseases; insulin resistance; hypertension
