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Efficacy of a continuous metabolic syndrome score in Indian children for detecting subclinical atherosclerotic risk

International Journal of Obesity volume 35, pages 1318–1324 (2011)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

To evaluate the continuous metabolic syndrome score (cMetS) in Indian children and to investigate its relationship with the risk of carotid arterial stiffness.

Methods:

Data on weight, height, mean arterial pressure, serum lipids, insulin, glucose, carotid intima–media thickness and stiffness parameters, that is, pulse wave velocity (PWV), elasticity modulus (Ep), stiffness index (β) and arterial compliance (AC), were assessed in 236 children (6–17 years) from Pune city, India. cMetS was computed using standardized Z-scores for metabolic syndrome (MS) components. cMetS cutoff was obtained by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis across MS components.

Results:

cMetS was lowest (−3.6±2.0) in normal children and highest (3.3±2.4) in MS children. cMetS increased progressively with number of risk components. The cutoff of cMetS yielding maximal sensitivity (80%) and specificity (94%) for predicting the presence of MS was −0.8 (area under the curve=0.921 (95% CI: 0.877–0.964)). In children with cMetS above −0.8, average PWV (4.3±0.6 m s−1), β (3.8±1.2) and Ep (50.4±14.5 kPa) were significantly higher than the respective values (3.7±0.5 m s−1; 3.4±0.8; 37.0±10.0 kPa) in children with cMetS below −0.8, whereas AC was lower (1.2±0.5 mm2 kPa−1) in children with cMetS above −0.8 as against AC (1.4±0.3 mm2 kPa−1) in children with cMetS below −0.8 (P<0.05), demonstrating the risk of stiffness with increasing score. Pearson's correlation coefficients of cMetS with PWV (r=0.575), β (r=0.347), AC (r=−0.267) and Ep (r=0.530) were statistically significant (P<0.01).

Conclusion:

Results demonstrate the usefulness of cMetS over individual MS components as a better tool for assessment of atherosclerotic risk in children.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to express our profound gratitude to all the participants for their cooperation and contribution towards this study. We also express our sincere thanks to the Director of Hirabai Cowasji Jehangir Medical Research Institute and Agharkar Research Institute and to Dr Arun Kinare (Senior Radiologist) for funding this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, India

    D Pandit

  2. Hirabai Cowasji Jehangir Medical Research Institute, Pune, India

    S Chiplonkar, A Khadilkar, A Kinare & V Khadilkar

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Correspondence to A Khadilkar.

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Pandit, D., Chiplonkar, S., Khadilkar, A. et al. Efficacy of a continuous metabolic syndrome score in Indian children for detecting subclinical atherosclerotic risk. Int J Obes 35, 1318–1324 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2011.138

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