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.

Fasting plasma glucose and clustering of cardiometabolic risk factors in normoglycemic outpatient children and adolescents.

Objective: To evaluate whether fasting plasma glucose (FPG) within a normoglycemic range is associated with cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRF) among children and adolescents in an outpatient setting.

Research Design And Methods: Subjects (780; age 6-16 years) with FPG <100 mg/dL were divided into tertiles of FPG.

Results: BMI, waist circumference, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance, systolic blood pressure, and white blood cell (WBC) count (P < 0.

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.

Association of elevated serum alanine aminotransferase with metabolic factors in obese children: sex-related analysis.

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevations are considered a surrogate marker of nonalcoholic liver disease and predict later development of diabetes and metabolic syndrome in adults. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the prevalence of high ALT levels in obese children using updated and sex-related cutoff ALT value (ALT >30 IU/L for boys and >19 IU/L for girls). We also analyzed the association between ALT levels and metabolic factors in the 2 sexes.