Usefulness of the high triglyceride-to-HDL cholesterol ratio to identify cardiometabolic risk factors and preclinical signs of organ damage in outpatient children.

Objective: To evaluate whether the high triglyceride-to-HDL cholesterol (TG-to-HDL-C) ratio is associated with cardiometabolic risk (CMR) factors and preclinical signs of organ damage in an outpatient population of white children and adolescents.

Research Design And Methods: The study population included 884 subjects (aged 6-16 years), of whom 206 (23%) were normal weight, 135 (15%) were overweight, and 543 (61%) were obese. Biochemical variables were analyzed in the whole sample, whereas homocysteine and left ventricular (LV) geometry and function were evaluated in 536 and 258 children, respectively.

Preclinical manifestations of organ damage associated with the metabolic syndrome and its factors in outpatient children.

Background: To evaluate whether the pediatric metabolic syndrome (MetS) or its factors are useful to detect subclinical abnormalities of cardiac, liver, and glomerular damage in an outpatient population.

Methods: The population study included 799 children (age 10 ± 3 years, mean ± SD), 24% of whom were normalweight, 25% overweight, and 51% obese. Alanine-aminotransferase (ALT) levels, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and HOMA-IR were analyzed in all children.

Prehypertension in outpatient obese children.

Background: The aim of the study was to analyze the prevalence of prehypertension (PH) in obese (OB) children and its relation with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and left ventricular (LV) function.

Methods: The study included 447 OB and 131 normal-weight children. PH was defined according to the criteria proposed by the National High Blood Pressure Education Program Working Group on High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents.

Central adiposity and left ventricular mass in obese children.

Aim: The impact of central adiposity on left ventricular (LV) mass in childhood obesity has been little explored. This study evaluates whether central obesity influences LV mass and function in obese children.

Methods And Results: Biochemical, anthropometric and echocardiographic measurements were taken in obese (n=111, mean age 10.

Early detection of diabetic cardiomyopathy: usefulness of tissue Doppler imaging.

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate whether tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) detects a pre-clinical impairment of diastolic function in subjects with Type 2 diabetes with short duration of disease and normal cardiac function with conventional echocardiography (CE), and whether echocardiographic parameters are related to metabolic abnormalities.

Patients And Methods: We studied 40 non-obese, normotensive, uncomplicated Type 2 diabetic subjects with short duration of disease and 20 control subjects. All participants underwent both CE and TDI echocardiography.