Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance among Egyptian adolescents 10 to 18 years of age.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence and magnitude of childhood obesity are increasing dramatically. OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of varying social, demographic, dietary, and activity factors on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its relation to insulin resistance, C-reactive protein, and homocysteine levels in a large, representative sample of Egyptian adolescents. METHODS: Our survey included 4250 adolescents (from 10 to 18 years of age; male subjects comprised 42.5% of participants) from 7 governorates representing Egypt. Baseline measurements included blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, plasma lipids, C-reactive protein, and homocysteine levels. Because the body mass index varies according to age, we standardized the value for age and sex with the use of conversion to percentiles. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 7.4% with no sex or area of residence predilection. Results showed that adolescents with the full criteria of metabolic syndrome (ie, three criterion or more) constituted nearly one fourth of those exhibiting high values of different components, except for systolic blood pressure, where they were 42%, and TG, where they were 31%. Family history of obesity and diabetes mellitus increase the odds for metabolic syndrome significantly (1.68 and 1.3, respectively) as well as inactivity. A high level of C-reactive protein was reported among affected adolescents. Homocysteine level did not have an influence. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome is considerable among obese adolescents. Proinflammatory markers associated with an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes are already present in these youth.

Delay in seeking health care for acute coronary syndromes in a Lebanese sample.

Early treatment of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is crucial to reduce morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine delay in seeking care for ACS symptoms in a Lebanese sample and identify predictors of delay. Medical record reviews and interviews using the Response to Symptoms Questionnaire were conducted with 204 ACS patients in coronary care within 72 hours of admission. Median time from symptom onset to hospital arrival was 4.5 hours. Higher education, presence of dyspnea, intermittent symptoms, and waiting for symptoms to go away predicted longer delays, whereas intensity of symptoms and active response (going to the hospital) predicted shorter delays. The findings suggest lack of knowledge of ACS symptoms and the need for public education in this regard.