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Published in: BMC Pediatrics 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research article

Neck circumference as a predictor of metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and low-grade systemic inflammation in children: the ACFIES study

Authors: Diego Gomez-Arbelaez, Paul Anthony Camacho, Daniel Dylan Cohen, Sandra Saavedra-Cortes, Cristina Lopez-Lopez, Patricio Lopez-Jaramillo

Published in: BMC Pediatrics | Issue 1/2016

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Abstract

Background

The current study aims to evaluate the association between neck circumference (NC) and several cardio-metabolic risk factors, to compare it with well-established anthropometric indices, and to determine the cut-off point value of NC for predicting children at increased risk of metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and low-grade systemic inflammation.

Methods

A total of 669 school children, aged 8–14, were recruited. Demographic, clinical, anthropometric and biochemical data from all patients were collected. Correlations between cardio-metabolic risk factors and NC and other anthropometric variables were evaluated using the Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Multiple linear regression analysis was applied to further examine these associations. We then determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses the optimal cut-off for NC for identifying children with elevated cardio-metabolic risk.

Results

NC was positively associated with fasting plasma glucose and triglycerides (p = 0.001 for all), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, C-reactive protein, insulin and HOMA-IR (p < 0.001 for all), and negatively with HDL-C (p = 0.001). Whereas, other anthropometric indices were associated with fewer risk factors.

Conclusions

NC could be used as clinically relevant and easy to implement indicator of cardio-metabolic risk in children.
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Metadata
Title
Neck circumference as a predictor of metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and low-grade systemic inflammation in children: the ACFIES study
Authors
Diego Gomez-Arbelaez
Paul Anthony Camacho
Daniel Dylan Cohen
Sandra Saavedra-Cortes
Cristina Lopez-Lopez
Patricio Lopez-Jaramillo
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Pediatrics / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2431
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-016-0566-1

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