Although difficult to diagnose in children, there is a renewed interest in researching metabolic syndrome in children primarily because some researchers think that metabolic syndrome in children may be the origin of the condition in adulthood. Because metabolic syndrome in children is difficult to pinpoint, most of the focus on researching it has been directed at adults.  But the increased obesity rates in children seem to have scientists once again trying to establish the origin of metabolic syndrome as beginning in childhood.

 

What is Metabolic Syndrome?

 

Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors that increase the chances of developing both diabetes and heart disease.  There is some minor disagreement in defining metabolic syndrome in adults, although there is a consensus that central obesity (as measured by waist circumference) is a key factor.  The World Health organization defines the criteria as the presence of one of the following:

  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Impaired glucose tolerance
  • Impaired fasting glucose or insulin resistance

 

And the presence of any two of these conditions:

  • Blood pressure greater than or equal to140/90 mmHg
  • Raised triglycerides ≥ 150mg/dL (with slight differences between men and women
  • Central obesity measured by either a waist/hip ratio that differs between sexes or a BMI >30 kg/m²
  • Microalbuminuria measured as the urinary albumin excretion ratio ≥ 20 µg/min or albumin/creatinine ratio ≥ 30 mg/g

 

Other esteemed health organizations have slight variations in the different measurements, but as you can imagine, if it is this difficult to define the syndrome in adults, the difficulty in defining it in children is made more difficult because they are still growing, and ratios aren’t as reliable while the body is still growing.  Currently, there is no uniform definition for metabolic syndrome in children.

To gain an understanding of the relationship of metabolic syndrome in children to the syndrome in adults, most recent studies are just focusing on insulin resistance and obesity.  Most of the features of metabolic syndrome can be connected to insulin resistance, and losing weight seems to play an important role in increasing insulin sensitivity, according to findings in a 2002 study published in JAMA. 

 

So What is the Relationship between Metabolic Syndrome in Children and Adults

 

The most interesting findings are that a child or adolescent with high insulin levels over a long period of time is 36 times more overweight, has 2.5 times more hypertension, and have 3 times more dyslipidemia compared to children with low insulin levels. A similar study in 2008 showed that children with BMI and waist-circumference values that classify them as obese are at increased risk for adult metabolic syndrome. The relationship extends to children as young as 2 to 5 years of age. The implications are of interest to both diabetes researcher and pharmaceutical companies looking at new drugs.

 

What are the Symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome in Children?

 

The symptoms for metabolic syndrome in children are basically what is described above as the definition of the syndrome. You should look for the following in your child.

  • High blood pressure
  • Obesity, especially in the waist area
  • High cholesterol
  • Excessive thirst and frequent urination
  • Frequent headaches and nosebleeds.

 

Given that recent findings are showing that children with symptoms of metabolic syndrome are more likely to be diagnosed with it as adults, any and all of these symptoms should be dealt with as quickly as possible with the help of your pediatrician. Help your child lose weight, reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and be more physically active. You’ll be doing your child a possibly lifesaving favor.