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The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in inner city obese African-American youth.

BACKGROUND
In children and adolescents, obesity increases the risk of metabolic syndrome (MS).


OBJECTIVE
We examined the prevalence of MS among obese and morbidly obese children and adolescents referred to an obesity clinic in a university-based hospital center.


DESIGN/METHODS
A total of 194 obese (BMI > 95%) children and adolescents were evaluated. Fasting glucose, insulin, lipid panel, BMI, blood pressures were obtained. Main outcome measures were prevalence of components of MS by modified National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP or Adult Treatment Panel 111 (ATP 111), with MS defined as > or = 3 components.


RESULTS
There were 113 females (58%) and 81 males (42%); mean age of the cohort was 11.9 years (range: 3.4-18.8 years). One hundred seventy four (90%) of the cohort were African-American, 14 (7%) were Hispanic and 6 (3%) were others. Mean BMI z- score was 2.5 and ranged from 1.7 to 4.8. Thirty five percent of the total cohort had MS. Among the morbidly obese patients (BMI z-score > 2.5), the prevalence of the MS increased to 44%. Impaired fasting glucose (5.8 %), impaired glucose tolerance (6.5%) and silent diabetes mellitus (2.4%) were also identified.


CONCLUSIONS
One third of obese patients referred to a hospital-based obesity center had the MS and nearly half of morbidly obese children and adolescents had MS.