ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The aim of this retrospective study was to describe the prevalence of metabolic abnormalities among obese children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two hundred and forty-four obese children were referred in our center between 2003 and 2007. The frequency of metabolic syndrome (MS) was assessed with the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) criteria. Insulin resistance was defined as a Homeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) greater than the 75th percentile. RESULTS: Around 95.9% of the children had abdominal obesity, 38.1% had systolic hypertension, 19.3% diastolic hypertension, 12.3% hypertriglyceridemia, and 4.1% hypoHDLemia. Insulin resistance was present in 69.6% of children; 11.5% of children met the criteria for MS. Both the Z-score of the body mass index and the prevalence of metabolic abnormalities were higher in the group of the youngest children. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of metabolic abnormalities is high among overweight children, particularly in the youngest children. However, the management of obesity but not metabolic-specific intervention remains the priority.
