Associação entre leucócitos, proteína C reativa e componentes da síndrome metabólica em adolescentes.

Obesity, a serious public health problem, widely found around the world, has been affecting various age groups, including children. The disorder is associated with a set of diseases such as hypertension, atherogenic dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus type 2, comprising the Metabolic Syndrome (MS). The presence of MS in the pediatric age, as a result of multiple cardiovascular risk factors that comprise it, is associated with an increased risk of premature manifestations in adults. Recently, several studies have presented evidence that in addition to metabolic stress (characterized by abnormalities in lipid and glucose metabolism), the inflammatory stress is an important pathogenic mechanism of MS. However few studies have explored this relationship in adolescents. This study was developed to evaluate the prevalence of MS components and their association with C-reactive protein (CRP) and leukocytes in adolescents from 11 to 15 years old, enrolled in private and public schools in the municipality of Alegre, Espirito Santo. From the volunteers were obtained the following data: age, sex, weight, height (to calculate body mass index), waist circumference, body fat percentage, complete blood count, lipid profile, fasting glucose, insulin, CRP and blood pressure. No specific criterion was used to characterize the MS, but the cutoffs and the risk factors recommended by the I Guidelines for the Prevention of Atherosclerosis in Children and Adolescents of the Brazilian Society of Cardiology. The sample consisted of 524 adolescents, 247 males and 277 females. The mean age was 13 years. Overweight was present in 29.6% of adolescents and 25.7% had increased waist circumference. In biochemical analyzes, we found 27,2% adolescents with hypercholesterolemia, 21,8% with hypertriglyceridemia, 49,5% with decreased serum concentrations of HDL cholesterol, 18,7% with elevated LDL cholesterol, 14,2% with hyperglycemia, 15,1% with hyperinsulinemia and 12.0% of adolescents with CRP concentrations considered as high risk. Adolescents with higher concentrations of triglycerides, waist circumference and percentage body fat had higher average values for leukocytes. MS was observed in 16%, insulin resistance in 12.9% and over 49% of adolescents had at least two components of MS. The hypertension was observed at 6.5%. A positively and significant association between CRP and systolic blood pressure, glucose and HDL cholesterol, independent of age, body composition and BMI was observed. Only body fat percentage was significantly associated with leukocytes. We conclude that the studied population has a high prevalence of classic risk factors for cardiovascular disease, for type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome.