ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The undercarboxylated form of osteocalcin (ucOC) is an emerging marker of cardiovascular disease. It is unknown if ucOC in related to common cardiovascular risk markers in children. In offspring of families with and without metabolic syndrome (MetS+ and MetS- families), we assessed whether ucOC was related to a continuous metabolic syndrome score (MetS score) and to carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT). METHODS: ucOC and total OC, MetS score and cIMT were assessed in 203 asymptomatic prepubertal children (age 7.6 ± 0.1 yr; 49% girls), of whom 99 were from MetS+ families. RESULTS: In children from MetS+ families, percent ucOC was higher than in children from MetS- families (p < 0.01). In offspring from MetS+ families, higher ucOC and especially higher percent ucOC was independently associated with both the MetS score and cIMT (both p ≤ 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The undercarboxylated form of OC is related to common cardiovascular risk markers in children at risk for cardiovascular disease.
