Cardiovascular risk factors in obese children and adolescents

Abstract

Background: Obesity is one of the most important health problems in many countries which increase the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Although cardiovascular findings are specific to adulthood, but identification of cardiovascular risk factors in childhood is necessary to prevent damage to target organs in adulthood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of cardiovascular risk factors in obese children and adolescents. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on 442 children and adolescents aged 4 to 16 years old. After the clinical examination, blood pressure, height and weight were measured. The body mass index over than 95th percentile for age and sex or (BMI Z-Score equal or more than 2) was defined as obesity. After 12 hours of fasting the blood samples were taken for measurement of serum lipid profiles, insulin and glucose levels. Results: Of the total obese subjects, 15.8% (n=70) had no risk factors for cardiovascular disease, while 22.2% had one, 32.4% had two, 22.4% had three, 2.5% had four and 1.6% had five risk factors. The most common risk factor was hypertriglyceridemia (52.3 %) and the second risk factor was impaired fasting blood glucose (34.9%). Conclusion: The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors is high in obese children and adolescents.