Prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome in Us Adolescents

The Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults states the importance of identifying and treating patients with the metabolic syndrome to prevent cardio­vascular disease and type 2 diabetes. This analysis estimated the pre­valence of the metabolic syndrome among over 3,000 8-14 year olds in the United States using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data since limited information is available about the prevalence of this syndrome. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among 8-14 year olds was 3.16%, excluding abnormal fasting glucose. Among 12-14 year olds, it was 8.69%. With the appropriate sample weights applied, it is estimated that 841,212 US 8-14 year olds and 999,680 12-14 year olds currently have the metabolic syndrome. This analysis indicates that a substantial percentage of US children and adolescents, and particularly those who are overweight, are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes and premature coronary artery disease as adults and will therefore significantly impact the healthcare system in the coming decade.