PURPOSE: Visceral fat (VF) is closely associated with many metabolic risk factors and is also known to be a strong predictive factor for severe metabolic complications in adults. But there are only a few studies concerning the association of VF and risk factors for metabolic syndrome (MS) in children and adolescents. In our study, we emphasized the association of VF [measured by VF computed tomography (VFCT)] and risk factors for metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects were outpatients aged 6 to 18 years who underwent VFCT in the family medicine of The Catholic University of Korea from January 2005 to August 2009. There were 82 patients in total (42 children, 40 adolescents). Height, weight, blood pressure (BP), blood tests, body composition analysis and VF were measured. The three groups were also classified by metabolic score. RESULTS: In children, only high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) showed a statistically significant difference, while in adolescents, triglyceride, HDL-C, BP, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and VFA showed statistically significant differences. In terms of VFA, fasting glucose, BP, BMI, basal metabolic rate (BMR) and WC showed statistically significant differences. BMI showed a statistically significant difference in terms of BP, BMR, WC, VFA and HDL-C. CONCLUSION: There is a need to acknowledge the statistically significant associations of VF and risk factors for MS in children and adolescents. Screening tests for BP, cholesterol, fasting glucose and WC should be given in clinics for children and adolescents so that MS can be detected and its risk factors treated early.
Adolescent ; Body Mass Index ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Intra-Abdominal Fat/*physiology ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/*epidemiology/metabolism/physiopathology ; Risk Factors ; Waist Circumference/physiology

Previous evidence supports the important role that oxidative stress (OxS) plays in metabolic syndrome (MetS)-related manifestations. We determined the relationship between the number of MetS components and the degree of OxS in MetS patients. In this comparative cross-sectional study from the LIPGENE cohort, a total of 91 MetS patients (43 men and 48 women; aged between 45 and 68 years) were divided into four groups based on the number of MetS components: subjects with 2, 3, 4 and 5 MetS components (n=20, 31, 28 and 12, respectively). We measured ischemic reactive hyperemia (IRH), plasma levels of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), total nitrite, lipid peroxidation products (LPO), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) plasma activities. sVCAM-1, H2O2 and LPO levels were lower in subjects with 2 or 3 MetS components than subjects with 4 or 5 MetS components. IRH and total nitrite levels were higher in subjects with 2 or 3 MetS components than subjects with 4 or 5 MetS components. SOD and GPx activities were lower in subjects with 2 MetS components than subjects with 4 or 5 MetS components. Waist circumference, weight, age, homeostatic model assessment-beta, triglycerides (TGs), high-density lipoprotein and sVCAM-1 levels were significantly correlated with SOD activity. MetS subjects with more MetS components may have a higher OxS level. Furthermore, association between SOD activity and MetS components may indicate that this variable could be the most relevant OxS biomarker in patients suffering from MetS and could be used as a predictive tool to determine the degree of the underlying OxS in MetS.
Aged ; Anthropometry ; Antioxidants/metabolism ; Biological Markers/metabolism ; Blood Pressure ; Endothelium, Vascular/pathology/physiopathology ; Female ; Glutathione Peroxidase/blood ; Humans ; Hydrogen Peroxide/metabolism ; Hyperemia/blood/physiopathology ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/blood/enzymology/*pathology/physiopathology ; Middle Aged ; Nitrites/blood ; *Oxidative Stress ; Regression Analysis ; Superoxide Dismutase/blood ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1/metabolism

The aim of this study was done to assess the association of lung function with insulin resistance (IR), systemic inflammation, and metabolic syndrome (MetS). In 9,581 apparently healthy non-smoking male adults, pulmonary function, fasting glucose, insulin, lipid profiles and serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were measured, and homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) was used to assess IR. The presence of MetS was defined according to the AHA/NHLBI criteria. The prevalence of MetS was 19.3%. The odds ratio of MetS for restrictive ventilatory pattern was 1.55 (95% confidence interval, 1.12-2.14), and that for obstructive ventilatory pattern was 1.39 (0.66-2.94) after adjustment for confounders. When subjects were divided in 4 groups according to quartiles of FVC or FEV1 (% predicted [pred]), HOMA-IR significantly increased as the FVC or FEV1 (% predicted [pred]) decreased. Individuals in the lowest FVC or FEV1 quartile had the highest hs-CRP level. Prevalence of MetS increased as FVC or FEV1 (% predicted [pred]) quartiles decreased. The abdominal obesity, hs-CRP and HOMA-IR were the independent predictors for the lowest FVC and FEV1 (% predicted [pred]) even after adjustment for confounders. These results indicate that MetS, IR, and systemic inflammation are important risk factors for reduced lung function in nonsmoking Korean males.
Adult ; C-Reactive Protein/analysis ; Forced Expiratory Volume/physiology ; Glucose/metabolism ; Humans ; Inflammation/complications/*physiopathology ; Insulin/blood ; *Insulin Resistance ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/complications/*physiopathology ; Middle Aged ; Obesity/complications ; Odds Ratio ; Pulmonary Ventilation/*physiology ; Republic of Korea ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Risk Factors ; Vital Capacity/physiology

BACKGROUND: A biomarker that is of great interest in relation to adverse cardiovascular events is soluble ST2 (sST2), a member of the interleukin family. Considering that metabolic syndrome (MetS) is accompanied by a proinflammatory state, we aimed to assess the relationship between sST2 and left ventricular (LV) structure and function in patients with MetS. METHODS: A multicentric, cross-sectional study was conducted on180 MetS subjects with normal LV ejection fraction as determined by echocardiography. LV hypertrophy (LVH) was defined as an LV mass index greater than the gender-specific upper limit of normal as determined by echocardiography. LV diastolic dysfunction (DD) was assessed by pulse-wave and tissue Doppler imaging. sST2 was measured by using a quantitative monoclonal ELISA assay. RESULTS: LV mass index (β=0.337, P<0.001, linear regression) was independently associated with sST2 concentrations. Increased sST2 was associated with an increased likelihood of LVH [Exp (B)=2.20, P=0.048, logistic regression] and increased systolic blood pressure [Exp (B)=1.02, P=0.05, logistic regression]. Comparing mean sST2 concentrations (adjusted for age, body mass index, gender) between different LV remodeling patterns, we found the greatest sST2 level in the group with concentric hypertrophy. There were no differences in sST2 concentration between groups with and without LV DD. CONCLUSIONS: Increased sST2 concentration in patients with MetS was associated with a greater likelihood of exhibiting LVH. Our results suggest that inflammation could be one of the principal triggering mechanisms for LV remodeling in MetS.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Area Under Curve ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular/diagnostic imaging ; Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like 1 Protein/*analysis ; Linear Models ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/metabolism/*physiopathology ; Middle Aged ; ROC Curve ; Sex Factors ; Ventricular Function, Left/*physiology ; Ventricular Remodeling/physiology

Heart rate (HR) recovery after exercise is a function of vagal reactivation, and its impairment is a predictor of overall mortality and adverse cardiovascular events. While metabolic syndrome is associated with sympathetic overactivity, little is known about the relationship between metabolic syndrome and HR recovery. A symptom-limited exercise stress test in healthy subjects (n=1, 434) was used to evaluate HR recovery. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP-III) criteria. Seventeen percent of subjects had > or =3 criteria for metabolic syndrome. HR recovery was lower in men than women and in smokers than nonsmokers. The subject with metabolic syndrome (vs. without) showed lower HR recovery (10.3+/-11.6 vs. 13.6+/-9.7 per minute) and higher resting HR (64.3+/-10.3 vs. 61.6+/-9.1 per minute). HR recovery correlated inversely to age (r=-0.25, p<0.0001), but not to resting HR or maximal oxygen uptake. Delayed HR recovery was associated with metabolic syndrome after an adjustment for age, sex, resting HR and smoking (p<0.01). Metabolic syn-drome is associated with impaired vagal reactivation. Adverse cardiovascular out-comes associated with metabolic syndrome may be mediated by the failure of vagal reactivation in addition to sympathetic overactivity.
Walking/physiology ; Smoking ; Sex Factors ; Oxygen Consumption/physiology ; Middle Aged ; Metabolic Syndrome X/blood/*physiopathology ; Male ; Humans ; Heart Rate/*physiology ; Female ; Fasting/blood ; Exercise/*physiology ; Cholesterol, HDL/blood ; Body Mass Index ; Blood Pressure/physiology ; Blood Glucose/metabolism ; Analysis of Variance ; Age Factors ; Adult