The Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 152, Issue 2 , Pages 160-164.e13, February 2008

Defining the Metabolic Syndrome in Children and Adolescents: Will the Real Definition Please Stand Up?

  • Earl S. Ford, MD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Earl Ford, MD, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, MS K66, Atlanta, GA 30341.
  • ,
  • Chaoyang Li, MD, PhD

Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta, GA.

Received 31 January 2007; received in revised form 5 June 2007; accepted 3 July 2007. published online 01 November 2007.

Objectives

To review the use of definitions of the metabolic syndrome in studies of children and adolescents and to review results from studies that used factor analysis to examine structure among cardiometabolic variables.

Study design

Literature review.

Results

In 27 publications, authors used 40 unique definitions of the metabolic syndrome. Most of these definitions were adaptations of the adult definition developed by the National Cholesterol Education Program. In 11 studies that used exploratory factor analysis, the number of components ranged from 5 to 19, and the number of factors identified ranged from 1 to 5.

Conclusions

The use of multiple definitions of the metabolic syndrome argues strongly for the development of a standard pediatric definition.

Abbreviations: EGIR, European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance, HOMA, Homeostasis model assessment, NCEP, National Cholesterol Education Program, WHO, World Health Organization

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 The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

PII: S0022-3476(07)00754-8

doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2007.07.056

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The Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 152, Issue 2 , Pages 160-164.e13, February 2008