Metabolic Syndrome in Samoan adolescents

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) among adolescents residing in Samoa and American Samoa. Samoan adults and children are characterized by high levels of overweight, obesity and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Recently, Jolliffe and Janssen (2007) developed age- and gender-specific adolescent metabolic syndrome criteria linked to two different adult definitions of the disorder, the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF). Methods: The adolescent study sample is based on large extended families chosen for a genetic epidemiology study of adiposity and related phenotypes in American Samoa and Samoa. In this cross-sectional sample of 436 adolescents aged 12 to 18, MetSyn prevalence was estimated according to the two (ADOL-ATP and ADOL-IDF) adolescent specific criteria of MetSyn. Fasting serum was assayed for triglycerides, high density lipoprotein, and fasting glucose. Blood pressure, abdominal circumference, height, and weight were measured and BMI was calculated for each participant. Results: In this sample, the overall prevalence of ADOL-ATP defined MetSyn was 11.7% and the prevalence of ADOL-IDF defined MetSyn was 15.6%. The syndrome was present in 8.0% (ADOL-ATP) and 15.9% (ADOL-IDF) of overweight individuals. Among obese adolescents, 43.2% and 48.4% met criteria for ADOL-ATP and IDF defined MetSyn, respectively. Conclusions: MetSyn and overweight are very common among Samoan adolescents. Due to the strong relationship between MetSyn and the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, early identification of these risk factors is critical to chronic disease prevention, particularly in such a high risk population.