Sex Dimorphism in the Relation between Early Adiposity and Cardiometabolic Risk in Adolescents

Context: Birth weight and childhood adiposity are associated with subsequent cardiovascular risk. Objective: We investigated the associations between metabolic clusters in young adults with body fat distribution from early childhood, focusing on sex differences. Design, Setting, and Patients: A total of 1053 17 yr olds from an Australian birth cohort had measures of anthropometry, blood pressure, and fasting insulin, glucose, and lipids. Main Outcome Measures: Two-step cluster analysis identified 17 yr olds at high metabolic risk. The two risk groups were compared by sex with regard to birth weight and serial anthropometry, including skinfold thickness from nine time-points. Results: The “high-risk” metabolic cluster at age 17 yr included 16% of males and 19% of females. Compared to the “low-risk” group, the high-risk cluster participants had greater waist circumference, triglycerides, insulin, and systolic blood pressure and lower high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (all P <0.0001). There was a signific...