Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance in Normal Glucose Tolerant Brazilian Adolescents With Family History of Type 2 Diabetes
- Regina C.Q. da Silva, MD, MSC,
- Walkiria L. Miranda, MSC,
- Antonio R. Chacra, MD, PHD and
- Sérgio A. Dib, MD, PHD
- From the Diabetes Center, São Paulo Federal University, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Sérgio Atala Dib, MD, PhD, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Disciplina de Endocrinologia, Rua Botucatu 740 CEP:04034-970, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. E-mail: sadib{at}endocrino.epm.br
Metabolic syndrome increases risk for cardiovascular disease (1,2). The diagnosis of metabolic syndrome in patients might hold promise for enhanced prevention of cardiovascular disease. Currently, there is no consensus on the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents, with variable prevalence of metabolic syndrome from 4.2 to 32% in several populations (3–5). The highest rates of metabolic syndrome were found in adolescents with Latino or African backgrounds (3,6). However, this racial/ethnic predisposition to metabolic syndrome is not well defined. The Brazilian population has a high degree of mis-cegenation that includes a mix of indigenous people, Afro- and Euro-Brazilians, and a widespread Latin ancestry. We do not know if this genetic and environmental diversity can modify the prevalence of metabolic syndrome or its relationship to obesity. In this study, we determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in a group of Brazilian adolescents with a family history of type 2 diabetes.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Inclusion criteria were age between 10 and 19 years, good health, and family history of type 2 diabetes. The São Paulo Federal University Ethics Committee reviewed and approved the study. Informed consent and assent were obtained from all participants or relatives. BMI cut points for overweight and obesity by sex and age in children were defined as 25 and 30 kg/m2, respectively, at age 18 years. These criteria were chosen because of the inclusion of Brazilian children and adolescents …
