Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Adolescents

This study evaluated the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and investigated its association with being overweight in Korean adolescents. Data were obtained from 1,393 students between 12 and 13 yr of age in a cross-sectional survey. We defined the metabolic syndrome using criteria analogous to the Third Report of the Adult Treatment Panel (ATP III) as having at least three of the following: fasting triglycerides > or =100 mg/dL; HDL <50 mg/dL; fasting glucose > or =110 mg/dL; waist circumference >75th percentile for age and gender; and systolic blood pressure >90th percentile for age, gender, and height. Weight status was assessed using the age- and gender-specific body mass index (BMI), and a BMI > or =85th percentile was classified as overweight. Of the adolescents, 5.5% met the criteria for the metabolic syndrome, and the prevalence increased with weight status; it was 1.6% for normal weight and 22.3% in overweight (p<0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analyses among adolescents, overweight status was independently associated with the metabolic syndrome (odds ratio, 17.7; 95% confidence interval, 10.0-31.2). Since childhood metabolic syndrome and obesity likely persist into adulthood, early identification helps target interventions to improve future cardiovascular health.