Frequency of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes among the obese children and adolescents in Kashan during 2009-11

Background: An increase in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) among the obese children is associated with such complications as the early cardiovascular diseases. This study was undertaken to evaluate the frequency of MetS and T2D among the obese children and adolescents in Kashan. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 450 obese children aged 4-18 years in Kashan. Demographic data were recorded for each case and the 12-hour fasting blood samples were collected to determine the total cholesterol, HDL, triglyceride, and plasma glucose levels. MetS was defined as the presence of at least three of the following five criteria: (1) BMI≥95th percentile for age and gender, (2) triglyceride level >95th percentile for age and gender, (3) HDL level<5th percentile for age and gender, (4) impaired fasting glucose≥100 mg/dL, and (5) systolic or diastolic blood pressure≥95th percentile for age and height. Results: Among 450 children, 227 (50.4%) cases were male and 223 (49.6%) female. The mean age of children was 10.3±3.18 years. One hundred fifty-four cases (34.22%) had MetS and 7 cases (1.3%) met 5 criteria for MetS. Moreover, three cases (0.7%) had T2D. Conclusion: Significantly high frequency of the metabolic syndrome in obese children and adolescents in this city can signal a wide range of adverse health effects. Keywords: Obesity, Metabolic syndrome, Children, Type 2 diabetes mellitus,