Anthropometric features as predictors of atherogenic dyslipidemia and cardiovascular risk in a large population of school-aged children

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2018

Authors

Furtado, JM (Author) Other; Almeida, SM (Author) Other; Mascarenhas, P (Author) Other; Ferraz, ME (Author) Other; Ferreira, JC (Author) Other; Manuel Vilanova (Author) ICBAS; Monteiro, M (Author) ICBAS; Ferraz, FP (Author) Other

Journal

Title: PLoS ONE

Vol. 13 No. 1

ISSN: 1932-6203

Publisher: Public Library of Science

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 13 Citations

Scopus - 12 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00P-ZDY

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197922

Abstract (EN): Background Autopsy studies reveal that atherosclerosis lesions can be found as early as two years of age. To slow the development of this early pathology, obesity and dyslipidemia prevention should start from childhood making it urgent to explore new ways to evaluate dyslipidemia risk in children that can be applied widely, such as the non-invasive anthropometric evaluation. Objective Assess the metabolic profile of a pediatric population at a specific age to describe the association between anthropometric and biochemical cardiovascular disease risk factors; and evaluate selected anthropometric variables as potential predictors for dyslipidemic cardiovascular risk. Design and methods Anthropometric features, bioimpedance parameters and fasting clinical profile were assessed in Lisbon and the Tagus Valley region pre-pubertal nine-year-old children (n = 1.496) from 2009-2013 in a descriptive, cross-sectional study. Anthropometric variables predictive power was evaluated through regression analysis. Results At least one abnormal lipid parameter was found in 65% of "normal weight", 73% of "overweight" and 81% of "obese" children according to the International Obesity Task Force IOTF) standards. Dyslipidemia was present in 67.8% of children. Waist-hip ratio (WHR) explained 0.4% of total cholesterol (TC) variance. Waist circumference (WC) explained 2.8% of apolipoprotein (APO) A1 variance. Waist-circumference-to-height-ratio (WHtR) explained 2.7%, 2.8% and 1.9% of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), APO B, and N_ HDL-c variance, respectively. Children with abnormally high WHR levels had an increase in risk of 4.49, 3.40 and 5.30 times, respectively, for developing cardiovascular disease risk factors measured as high-risk levels of TC, LDL-c and non-HDL-c (N_ HDL-c) (p<0.05). Only 29.9% of "normal weight" children had no anthropometric, bioimpedance or biochemical parameters associated with CV risk. Conclusion A large proportion of school age children have at least one lipid profile abnormality. BMI, zBMI, calf circumference (CC), hip circumference (HC), WC, and WHR are directly associated with dyslipidemia, whereas HC and calf circumference (CC) adjusted to WC, and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), are all inversely associated with dyslipidemia. Selected anthropometric variables are likely to help predict increased odds of having CV risk factors.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 18