Table 1

Demographic and Metabolic Syndrome Characteristics by Age Group
Characteristic*
 Ages 3–8
n = 122
 Age 9–11
n = 164
 Ages 12–19
n = 290
 Total
n = 576
 p value
Female (%)
 55.7
 53.0
 53.1
 53.6
 .87
Ethnicity (%)



.92
African American
 79.5
 81.7
 82.1
 81.4
Hispanic
 17.2
 15.2
 15.9
 16.0
Other
 3.3
 3.0
 2.1
 2.6
Body Mass Index (BMI) (kg/m2)
 26.8 ± 4.7
 31.0 ± 5.5
 37.1 ± 7.2
 33.2 ± 7.6
 <.001
Age-sex standardized Body Mass Index
 2.8 ± 0.71
 2.4 ± 0.42
 2.4 ± 0.36
 2.5 ± 0.50
 <.001
(BMIZ) (standardized units)




Glucose ≥ 100 mg/dL (%)
 2.5
 4.3
 3.8
 3.6
 .71
Elevated Waist Circumference† (%)
 94.3
 95.1
 85.9
 90.3
 .001
High Density Lipoprotein <40 mg/dL (%)
 39.3
 45.7
 50.0
 46.5
 .14
Elevated Triglycerides† (%)
 34.4
 47.0
 29.0
 35.2
 .001
Hypertension† (%)
 64.8
 53.7
 59.0
 58.7
 .17
Metabolic syndrome‡ (%)
 45.1
 48.8
 42.4
 44.6
 .49
Glucose (mg/dL)
 80 ± 10.5
 83 ± 11.1
 85 ± 20.3
 83 ± 16.4
 .02
Waist Circumference (cm)
 80 ± 11.4
 95 ± 12.5
 108 ± 15.7
 98 ± 17.7
 <.001
High Density Lipoprotein (mg/dL)
 46 ± 11.5
 43 ± 10.5
 41 ± 9.4
 43 ± 10.3
 <.001
Triglycerides (mg/dL)
 83 ± 33.9
 95 ± 41.4
 98 ± 54.3
 94 ± 47.4
 .01
Blood pressure (mmHg)




     Systolic
 114 ± 10.7
 118 ± 9.4
 125 ± 10.9
 121 ± 11.4
 <.001
     Diastolic
 65 ± 8.2
 69 ± 8.2
 73 ± 8.9
 70 ± 9.2
 <.001

* Values are presented as % for categorical variables and mean ± standard deviation for continuous variables. P values for comparison by age assessed by chi-square for categorical variables and analysis of variance for continuous variables. All continuous variables had p < .01 for linear trend.

† ≥ 90th percentile for age and sex.

‡ By modified ATP criteria: abnormal values for 3 or more of waist circumference, high density lipoprotein, triglycerides, hypertension and glucose.

Dhuper et al. Cardiovascular Diabetology 2007 6:4   doi:10.1186/1475-2840-6-4