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Julián Andrés López-Herrera,1 Adriana Nathaly Castillo,2 Jenny Elizabeth Ordoñez-Betancourth,3 Wilson de Jesús Martínez Quiroz,4 Luis Felipe Higuita-Gutiérrez,5,6 Milton F Suarez-Ortegon7 1Departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Seccional Cali, Cali, Colombia; 2Departamento de nutrición y dietética, Institución Universitaria Escuela Nacional del Deporte, Cali, Colombia; 3Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Icesi, Cali, Colombia; 4Dirección de gestión clínica y promoción y prevención, Metrosalud, Medellín, Colombia; 5School of Medicine, Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Medellín, Colombia; 6School of Microbiology, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia; 7Departamento de Alimentación y Nutrición, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Seccional Cali, Cali, ColombiaCorrespondence: Milton F Suarez-Ortegon; Luis Felipe Higuita-Gutiérrez, Email milton.suarez@javerianacali.edu.co; luis.higuita@campusucc.edu.coBackground and Aim: Individuals with a normal weight may have metabolic alterations at risk for chronic non-communicable diseases. The prevalence of this condition and associated factors have not been reported in Latin American populations. We aimed to estimate the presence and associated factors of Metabolically Unhealthy Normal Weight (MUNW) in adults from a public program for the control and prevention of chronic diseases in Medellín, Colombia.Methods: Cross-sectional study. Overweight and normal weight were characterized according to the absence or presence of one or more components of the metabolic syndrome, obtaining four phenotypes: Metabolically Healthy Normal Weight (MHNW), MUNW (phenotype of interest), Metabolically Healthy Overweight (MHO), and Metabolically Unhealthy Overweight (MUO). The association of these phenotypes with sociodemographic variables of lifestyles and increased waist circumference was conducted by using logistic regression.Results: In 37,558 individuals (72.7% women), the prevalence of MUNW was 23.3%. Among the additional phenotypes, MUO was found to be more prevalent (71.6%), while MHNW and MHO were very slightly common, 2% and 3.1%, respectively. In a multiple model, the factors associated with MUNW were age over 60 years (trend [OR 1.56 95% CI 0.97– 2.52] p-value = 0.066), living in a rural area ([OR 1.58 95% CI 1.09– 2.29] p-value = 0.015), and increased waist circumference ([OR 1.68 95% CI 1.45– 1.95] p-value < 0.001). Male gender was inversely associated with all phenotypes (P < 0.05).Conclusion: Almost a quarter of the analyzed population presented MUNW. People living in a rural area and over 60 years old were more likely to present MUNW. Men were less likely to present the weight phenotypes studied, although they could have been underrepresented.Keywords: normal weight, metabolism, risk factor, body mass index, metabolic profile, metabolic syndrome

Background: There are conflicting results among studies on the association between serum ferritin (SF) and metabolic syndrome (MetS), and by groups of sex/menopausal status. To date, there are no studies on British populations. The SF-MetS association might be U/J-shaped. We evaluated whether SF was independently associated with MetS (harmonized definition) in people from Shetland, Scotland., Methods: We analysed cross-sectional data from the Viking Health Study-Shetland (589 premenopausal women [PreMW], 625 postmenopausal women [PostW] and 832 men). Logistic regressions using two approaches, one with the lowest sex and menopausal status-specific ferritin quartile (Q) as the reference and other using the middle two quartiles combined (2-3) as the reference, were conducted to estimate the SF-MetS association. The shape of the association was verified via cubic spline analyses. The associations were adjusted for age, inflammatory and hepatic injury markers, alcohol intake, smoking and BMI., Results: Prevalence of MetS was 18.3%. Among PostMW both low and high SF were associated with MetS (fully adjusted odds ratios [95% confidence interval] compared to the middle two quartiles combined were: 1.99 [1.17-3.38] p =.011 for Q1 and 2.10 [1.27-3.49] p =.004 for Q4) This U-shaped pattern was confirmed in the cubic spline analysis in PostMW with a ferritin range of 15-200 ug/L. In men, a positive association between ferritin quartiles with Q1 as the reference, did not remain significant after adjustment for BMI., Conclusion: Extreme quartiles of iron status were positively associated with MetS in PostMW, while no SF-MetS associations were found in men or PreMW. The ferritin-MetS association pattern differs between populations and U/J-shaped associations may exist., (© 2024 The Author(s). European Journal of Clinical Investigation published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Stichting European Society for Clinical Investigation Journal Foundation.)

Introduction. Altered serum zinc levels, lower and higher than values in healthy controls, have been observed in individuals affected by non-communicable chronic diseases. However, to date, studies describing potential determinants of zinc levels in general populations free of chronic diseases appear to be limited. Objective. To evaluate whether nutrient intake, biochemical and clinical measures, lifestyle, and family history of cardio-metabolic diseases are independently associated with zinc levels in apparently healthy individuals. Materials and methods. We evaluated 239 healthy subjects. Serum zinc was measured via flame atomic absorption spectrometry, and the remaining biochemical markers were assessed using enzymatic colorimetric methods. Standard techniques were employed to quantify waist circumference, height, and weight. Body fat was measured via bioimpedance, and blood pressure was measured using digital sphygmomanometers. We applied a survey to record the personal and family history of non-communicable chronic diseases, and nutrient intake was estimated using the 24-hour recall method. Results. Women had lower serum zinc levels than men. In multivariate analyzes, total fat intake (β = -0.15; standard error = 0.03; p < 0.001), plasma log-triglycerides (β = -10.18; standard error = 3.9; p = 0.010), and female gender (β = -6.81; standard error = 3.3; p = 0.043) were significant predictors for serum zinc levels. Zinc intake was not significantly related to serum zinc in univariate and multivariate analyses. Conclusions. Variables related to cardiometabolic risk, such as plasma triglyceride levels and total fat intake, were associated with serum zinc levels in individuals without a diagnosis of chronic or infectious/inflammatory diseases. Further studies are required to confirm our findings and to evaluate possible biological mechanisms for these relationships.

Aim: We aimed to evaluate associations between serum ferritin and transferrin and variables related to the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in children., Methods: Cross-sectional and longitudinal study in prepubertal children (n = 832) aged 3-14 years. A subset (n = 203) were re-examined after a mean follow-up of 3.7 ± 0.8 years[range 2-6]. Outcomes were MetS and MetS components scores, glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), and their follow-up change., Results: Children with low ferritin had increased HbA1c Z scores (ANCOVA, P = 0.003). Ferritin was inversely associated with glycaemia [fully adjusted β (95% confidence interval): -2.35(-4.36 to -0.34)]. Transferrin was associated with diastolic blood pressure [β: 0.02(0.01-0.04)] and log-HOMA-IR [β:0.001(0.0005-0.002)]. MetS risk score worsened during follow-up in children with the lowest baseline ferritin levels. In contrast, at baseline ferritin was positively associated with all (except glycaemia) the MetS-related variables but adjustments for inflammatory, hepatic function, and body mass markers attenuated those associations (P > 0.05)., Conclusions: Lower iron status was independently associated with glycaemic markers and MetS in children, whereas higher ferritin levels were related to other cardiometabolic risk markers under the influence of inflammation, hepatic injury and body mass. Research is required to study whether this mixed pattern is part of an early risk or would be explained by a normal transition during growth and development., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Body iron excess appears to be related to insulin resistance and cardiometabolic risk and increased oxidative stress might be involved in this relationship. Very few studies have described the association between soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) levels and cardiometabolic risk in the general population or antioxidant status. There were 239 subjects (20−65 years old) included in this cross-sectional study. Linear regressions adjusting for BMI, menopausal status, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), physical inactivity, alcohol intake and subclinical/chronic inflammation were used to describe the association between sTfR, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and measures of cardio-metabolic risk. sTfR levels were positively associated with TAC in men (βeta [95% confidence interval ]: 0.31 [0.14 to 0.48]) and women (βeta = 0.24 [0.07 to 0.40]) in non-adjusted and adjusted models (p < 0.05). In men, sTfR levels were inversely associated with waist circumference (βeta [95% confidence interval]: −1.12 [−2.30 to −0.22]) and fasting glucose (−2.7 (−4.82 to −0.57), and positively with LDL cholesterol (12.41 (6.08 to 18.57) before and after adjustments for confounding variables. LDL cholesterol had a significant and positive association with TAC in non-adjusted and adjusted models in men (p < 0.05). sTfR levels are significantly associated with antioxidant status and a few specific cardio-metabolic risk variables, independently of covariates that included serum ferritin and hepcidin. This might imply that iron biomarkers in regard to cardiometabolic risk reflect physiological contexts other than iron metabolism.

Background: Iron stores, estimated as ferritin levels, and type 2 diabetes (T2D) have been associated previously, while findings regarding coronary heart disease (CHD) and cerebrovascular disease (CEVD) are still inconclusive. No study has focused on simultaneous evaluation of associations between iron stores and the above cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) in the same population. We aim to evaluate the association between serum ferritin and risk of T2D, CHD and CEVD in Scottish population over a wide range of ferritin levels., Methods: Longitudinal study in 6,497 participants of the 1995 and 1998 Scottish health surveys, who were followed-up until 2011. Cox regression models were conducted adjusting for age, sex/menopausal status, fibrinogen, GGT levels, smoking, alcohol consumption, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, blood pressure, and BMI. Ferritin was used as continuous (sex/menopausal status-specific Z score) and categorical variable (sex/menopausal status-specific quartiles, quintiles and sextiles)., Results: During follow-up, 4.9% of the participants developed T2D, 5.3% CHD, and 2.3% CEVD. By using ferritin quartiles, serum ferritin was positively associated with T2D, CHD and CEVD but only the association with T2D remained after adjustment for covariates [Quartile 4 v. 1: adjusted HR 95% CI 1.59 (1.10-2.34); P = 0.006]. When ferritin sextiles were used (6 v. 1), the ferritin-CEVD association became slightly stronger and significant [adjusted HR 95% CI 2.08 (1.09-3.94); P = 0.024]., Conclusions: Iron stores relate differently to each CMD. Serum ferritin levels were positively and independently associated with incident T2D, and with incident CEVD if higher cut-off points for high ferritin levels were considered., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the association of metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) with iron status markers in prepubertal children., Methods: Three hundred twelve prepubertal children with overweight and obesity from a pediatric general Spanish population were evaluated. MHO and MUO were defined as obesity with the absence or presence of metabolic syndrome components. Phenotypes of metabolically healthy overweight including obesity (MHOV) and metabolically unhealthy overweight including obesity (MUOV) were also studied and defined using the same criteria. Serum ferritin, transferrin, and blood hemoglobin levels were evaluated., Results: Prevalence rates of MHOV and MHO were 35% (n = 111/312) and 27.1% (n = 42/155), respectively. Ferritin and hemoglobin levels were higher in children with MUOV versus MHOV (P < 0.05). MUO was positively associated with ferritin (beta [95% CI] = 0.43 [0.05 to 0.81]) and hemoglobin levels (0.43 [0.05 to 0.81]). These associations remained significant independently of age, sex, C-reactive protein, physical activity, and BMI/waist z scores in bivariate linear regression models. In multivariable models, transaminase levels attenuated the association of MUO with ferritin and hemoglobin levels (P > 0.05)., Conclusions: MUOV and MUO are associated with higher ferritin and hemoglobin levels in prepubertal children affected by overweight and obesity. Increased circulating ferritin in MUO might be influenced by liver injury., (© 2019 The Obesity Society.)

Background and Aim: Increased ferritin levels have been widely associated with cardiovascular risk in adults. Whether ferritin levels and their changes during childhood are related to metabolic syndrome (MetS) at adolescence is unknown. We aimed to evaluate these associations using levels of ferritin at 5, 10 and 16 years and their linear increases and patterns of sustained increased levels across childhood., Methods and Results: There were four samples evaluated according to non-missing values for study variables at each stage (5 years: 562; 10 years: 381; and 16 years: 567 children; non-missing values at any stage: 379). MetS risk was evaluated as a continuous Z score. Patterns of sustained increased ferritin (highest tertile) and slope of the change of ferritin per year across the follow-up were calculated. Ferritin levels in the highest versus lowest tertile at five and 16 years were significantly positively associated with MetS risk Z score at adolescence in boys and these associations were unaffected by adjustment for covariates. Having high, compared to low/moderate ferritin level at 2 or more time periods between 5 and 16 years was related to higher Mets Z-score in boys only [e.g. 5-10 years adjusted-beta (95 %CI):0.26 (0.05-0.48),P < 0.05]. In girls, ferritin Z score at 10 and 16 years was positively and independently associated with HOMA-IR Z score. In girls, the slope of ferritin per year in the highest tertile was positively associated with MetS risk Z-score [adjusted-beta (95 %CI):0.21 (0.05-0.38),P < 0.05]., Conclusions: Ferritin levels throughout childhood are positively related to cardiometabolic risk in adolescence, with associations varying by sex., (Copyright © 2019 The Italian Society of Diabetology, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition, and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: Mechanisms for the association between iron stores and risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, such as metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components, are still not clear. We evaluated the associations between ferritin levels, MetS and its individual components, and potential role of confounding, in a meta-analysis., Methods: We searched articles in MEDLINE and EMBASE until February 14th, 2018. There were two approaches: meta-analysis of 1) cross-sectional and longitudinal studies and 2) only cross-sectional studies. Meta-regressions were conducted to identify sources of heterogeneity in the associations of ferritin with MetS and its individual components., Results: Information from 26 studies (5 prospective) was systematically reviewed and 21 studies were meta-analysed. The pooled OR for MetS by increased ferritin was 1.78 (95%CI: 1.60-1.97) in the meta-analysis 1, and 1.70 (95%CI: 1.49-1.95) in the meta-analysis 2. The pooled association was weaker in studies adjusted for hepatic injury markers (meta-regression coefficient (95% CI): -0.34 (-0.60,-0.09) p = 0.008) and body mass index (BMI) (meta-regression coefficient (95% CI): -0.27 (-0.53,-0.01) p = 0.039). Among MetS components, the pooled association with increased ferritin was strongest with high triglycerides [OR (95%CI): 1.96 (1.65-2.32)] and high glucose levels [OR 95%CI: 1.60 (1.40-1.82)]. Higher cut-off points used to define high ferritin concentrations were more strongly associated with high triglycerides [meta-regression coefficient (95% CI): 0.22 (0.03, 0.041), p = 0.023]., Conclusions: High triglycerides and glucose are the components more strongly associated with ferritin. Hepatic injury and BMI appear to influence the ferritin-MetS association, and a threshold effect of high ferritin concentration on the ferritin-high triglycerides association was observed., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background and Aims: The possible contribution of iron to cardiovascular complications of type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been scarcely investigated. We aimed to study whether serum ferritin is linked to prevalent/incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) in T2D., Methods: The prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD), cerebrovascular disease (CEVD) and CVD was evaluated in the SIDIAP study (n = 38,617) and prevalence and 7-year incidence were analysed in the Edinburgh Type 2 Diabetes Study (ET2DS) (n = 821). Logistic and Cox regressions were used to describe associations between serum ferritin and CVD adjusting for confounding variables., Results: Increase of 1 SD unit in log-ferritin was associated with lower CVD prevalence in fully-adjusted models (ET2DS odds ratio (OR) 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.81 (0.68-0.96), p = 0.018; SIDIAP study: 0.91 (0.88-0.94), p < 0.001). In ET2DS, ferritin in the highest (vs. the lowest) quintile was associated with lower incidence of CVD (fully adjusted HR 95% CI: 0.46 (0.26-0.83), p = 0.010). This association persisted after removing subjects with CVD at baseline (n = 536) (HR 95% CI: 0.34 (0.14-0.81), p = 0.016)., Conclusions: Low iron status was associated with CVD risk in T2D. This pattern was consistent in populations at different cardiovascular risk. Low iron status seems to be harmful for cardiovascular health in T2D and it may be a target for intervention., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is known to be associated with elevated serum ferritin levels. The possible association with other Fe markers has been less well studied. We aimed to investigate the cross-sectional association of soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) and ferritin levels with the MetS components, insulin resistance and glycosylated Hb (HbA1C). The sample consisted of 725 adults, aged 19-93 years (284 men, 151 premenopausal and 290 postmenopausal women), from the Croatian island of Vis. Serum sTfR and ferritin levels were measured by immunoturbidimetry and electrochemiluminescence assays, respectively. The MetS was defined using modified international consensus criteria. Logistic and linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate the associations adjusting for age, fibrinogen, smoking status, alcohol consumption and BMI. Prevalence of the MetS was 48·7 %. Standardised values of ferritin were positively associated with all of the MetS components (except high blood pressure and waist circumference) in men (P0·05). sTfR levels could be spuriously elevated in subjects with insulin resistance and without association with the MetS or its components. We conclude that different markers of Fe metabolism are not consistently associated with cardiometabolic risk.

Scope: Very few studies have evaluated serum hepcidin in patients with type 2 diabetes and they have reported conflicting results. In addition, the effect of antidiabetic drugs on circulating hepcidin has not been explored so far. The aims of the study were to evaluate hepcidin concentrations and hepcidin/ferritin ratio in type 2 diabetes subjects and healthy non-diabetic controls and to evaluate the effect of metformin on hepcidin concentrations., Methods and Results: Study 1: Cross-sectional multivariate study of 239 non-diabetic individuals and 65 people with type 2 diabetes. The multivariate analysis included covariates of chronic inflammation, BMI, pharmacological treatment, menopausal status and insulin resistance. Study 2: Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled 4-month trial metformin compared to placebo among 36 type 2 diabetic patients. In both groups diet was controlled by maintaining a hypocaloric intake across the trial. Hepcidin levels were significantly lower in patients with type 2 diabetes than in non-diabetic individuals either in crude or adjusted regression models (P<0.05). Hepcidin decreased in both arms of the trial (Placebo, p = 0.004; metformin, p = 0.022)., Conclusion: Circulating hepcidin was significantly and independently lower in type 2 diabetes. Metformin treatment is not associated with reductions in hepcidin but hypocaloric diet could be involved., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Very few large studies in Latin America have evaluated the association between waist:height ratio (W-HtR) and cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents. Further, multivariable analyses verifying the independence of located subcutaneous fat have not been conducted so far. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations of W-HtR and waist circumference (WC) with metabolic syndrome abnormalities and high LDL-cholesterol levels in schooled adolescents before and after adjusting for trunk skinfolds and BMI. The sample consisted of 831 boys and 841 girls aged 10-17 years. Biochemical, blood pressure and anthropometrical variables were measured. Age- and sex-specific quartiles of W-HtR and WC were used in Poisson regression models to evaluate the associations. High WC values (highest quartile v. quartiles 1-3) were associated with high TAG levels in both sexes (prevalence ratio, boys: 2·57 (95 % CI 1·91, 3·44); girls: 1·92 (95 % CI 1·49, 2·47); P0·05). High W-HtR (highest quartile v. quartiles 1-3) was only independently associated with high TAG in female adolescents (1·99 (95 % CI 1·55, 2·56); P<0·05). In conclusion, WC showed better association with cardiometabolic risk than W-HtR in the children of this study. This observation does not support W-HtR as a relevant adiposity marker for cardiovascular and metabolic risk in adolescence.

Background and Aims: Few studies have described the association between hepcidin levels and cardiometabolic risk in the general population and more so by considering robust adjustment for confounding factors. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the associations between circulating hepcidin and anthropometric, biochemical and vascular variables related to cardiometabolic risk in healthy individuals adjusting for relevant covariates., Methods: Two-hundred thirty nine individuals (20-65 years old) were included in this cross-sectional study. Outcome variables were fasting glucose, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and the Framingham risk score. Multivariate linear regression and ANCOVA analyses including covariates of body mass index (BMI), menopausal status, physical inactivity, alcohol intake, insulin resistance, subclinical/chronic inflammation, ferritin and soluble transferrin receptors were used to describe the associations between hepcidin and cardiometabolic risk markers., Results: In adjusted linear regression analyses, there was no significant association in men. In women, a relationship between hepcidin and triglycerides became significant after adjustments (p <0.05). By comparing quartiles of hepcidin levels, systolic blood pressure values in men were significantly higher in the upper quartile of hepcidin vs. the rest of quartiles independently of BMI, chronic inflammation, insulin resistance and other iron markers (ANCOVA, p <0.05). There were no significant independent associations with the Framingham risk score (total points)., Conclusion: We found a threshold effect of hepcidin levels on systolic blood pressure specifically in men. Further larger studies and experimental research are required to investigate possible mechanisms for the relationship between hepcidin metabolism and vascular function., (Copyright © 2015 IMSS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The metabolic syndrome, a set of metabolic anomalies that include insulin resistance, central obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension and inflammation, is an important tool to explore factors associated to cardiometabolic disease., Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship of the levels of self-reported physical activity and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire items and the metabolic syndrome and the variables related to cardiovascular risk in 89 women., Materials and Methods: The short version of International Physical Activity Questionnaire was applied to classify participating subjects into three categories: insufficient, sufficient and very active physical activity. The metabolic syndrome was assessed according to the International Diabetes Federation criteria. Biochemical and anthropometrical parameters were measured ., Results: Twenty-two participants (23%) presented metabolic syndrome and 66 women (74.2%) were classified in the insufficient physical activity category. No association was found between insufficient physical activity and metabolic syndrome . Inverse correlations were found among the days and minutes per week of physical activity of moderate-intensity, waist circumference ( r =-0.327, and r =-0.313, p<0.005, respectively), and body mass index ( r =-0.262, and r =-0.218, p<0.05, respectively)., Conclusion: A high prevalence of insufficient physical activity was found in the study participants, but this was not associated with metabolic syndrome . Moderate but not vigorous physical activity items from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire correlated inversely with anthropometrical markers related to cardiovascular risk.

Introduction: Atherosclerosis is an asymptomatic chronic disease, which begins at early age and is difficult to detect during this stage. Prospective studies suggest a causal relationship between total serum cholesterol levels during childhood and early adolescence and the development of cardiovascular diseases in adulthood., Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of early atherosclerotic lesions in the aorta artery of children and its relationship with post-mortem serum cholesterol levels., Material and Methods: Post-mortem samples of blood and aorta were taken from 43 subjects aged less than 17 years old. Histopathological analysis (intimal thickening and inflammatory infiltrates) of the thoracic aorta and measurement of total serum cholesterol were performed., Results: The analysis showed thickening of the intima and lymphocyte infiltrates in 93% of children, and macrophage infiltrates in 79.1% of cases. A relationship between the highest terciles of total serum cholesterol levels and the presence of multiple lesions in the aorta wall was found ( P <0.05)., Conclusion: This group of children had a high prevalence of early inflammatory atherosclerotic lesions positively related with serum cholesterol levels. To our knowledge this study represents the first report of a relationship between post-mortem total serum cholesterol levels and pathological findings of macrophages and lymphocytes infiltrates in the aorta wall.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship of tricipital (TS), abdominal (AS), subscapular (SS), and suprailiac (SIS) skinfolds, Body Mass Index (BMI), and Waist Circumference (WC) with 1) variables related to cardiovascular risk (CVR) and 2) the clustering of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) - referenced pediatric cut-off points - in a multivariate analysis., Materials/methods: The sample was 1672 adolescents. Glucose, lipid profile, blood pressure and anthropometric variables were measured., Results: Adjusting for age, gender, and caloric intake, the highest quartile (Q4) of adiposity markers was associated to Q4 of biochemical and blood pressure variables. However, the association was not found for WC, SS and TS with glucose, and for diastolic blood pressure (DBP) with TS, SS, and SIS. Triglycerides Q4 was related to Q4 of SS, AS, and SIS after further adjustments, as well as HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) Q1 with Q4 of SS and AS. Glucose Q4 was associated to BMI, AS (Not adjusting for BMI and SIS), and SIS Q4 (Not adjusting for BMI and TS). LDL-Cholesterol (LDL-C) Q4 was associated to TS and SS Q4. The associations of LDL-C Q4 and HDL-C Q1 with WC Q4 were not significant after further adjustments. All the adiposity markers, except WC and TS, were associated to CVRF clustering in all the adjustments., Conclusions: In the adolescents, subcutaneous fat from the trunk (SS, AS, SIS) was better and independently associated to CVR variables and with CVRF clustering than visceral fat (WC). Further research is required to explain the specificity in the described associations., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the metabolic syndrome (MetS) prevalence in adolescents using three different definitions for this age group. The evaluated sample consisted of 718 male and 743 female adolescents. Definitions by Cook et al., de Ferranti et al. and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) for adolescents were used to estimate the prevalence of MetS. The prevalence of MetS was 8.5, 2.5 and 1.2% by de Ferranti et al., Cook et al. and IDF definitions, respectively. High fasting glucose component had the lower prevalence whereas high triglycerides levels component was the most prevalent. In obese adolescents, the prevalence of MetS was higher. MetS classification in adolescents strongly depends on the definition chosen. Further research is required for the evaluation of the current definitions (multicentric studies), and for addition or design of new and useful criteria.

Objectives: Evidence about the relationship between familial history (FH) of cardiometabolic disease (CMD) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Latin American populations is scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship of FH of CMD and of dyslipidemia and obesity with MetS in healthy men., Methods: One-hundred-twenty one individuals were recruited. Waist circumference and blood pressure were measured by a trained researcher using standard techniques. Glycemia and lipid profile were determined by colorimetric assays. A survey to record personal data and family antecedents in siblings, aunts/uncles, parents, and grandparents was conducted by trained interviewers., Results: Individuals having three or more familial antecedents were associated with high triglycerides level even after adjusting by age, sedentarism, fat and carbohydrates intake, and alcohol consumption. After adjusting for the same variables, FH of dyslipidemia and hypertension was also associated with high triglycerides levels and elevated waist circumference, respectively. The FH of stroke was associated with high blood pressure after adjusting for the rest of familial antecedents, and with MetS in all adjustment models., Discussion: the findings of association of this study together with the previous reports are evidence of the importance of hereditary component as independent predictor of cardiovascular risk factors and its clustering, as well as of possible specific association patterns between FH of CMD and MetS depending on evaluated population in terms of ethnic groups and geographic region. Further studies are required in other populations, as well as exploration of genetic markers of CMD regarding to MetS., (Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Ferritin levels have been associated with metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prediction of ferritin levels by variables related to cardiometabolic disease risk in a multivariate analysis. For this aim, 123 healthy women (72 premenopausal and 51 posmenopausal) were recruited. Data were collected through procedures of anthropometric measurements, questionnaires for personal/familial antecedents, and dietary intake (24-h recall), and biochemical determinations (ferritin, C reactive protein (CRP), glucose, insulin, and lipid profile) in blood serum samples obtained. Multiple linear regression analysis was used and variables with no normal distribution were log-transformed for this analysis. In premenopausal women, a model to explain log-ferritin levels was found with log-CRP levels, heart attack familial history, and waist circumference as independent predictors. Ferritin behaves as other cardiovascular markers in terms of prediction of its levels by documented predictors of cardiometabolic disease and related disorders. This is the first report of a relationship between heart attack familial history and ferritin levels. Further research is required to evaluate the mechanism to explain the relationship of central body fat and heart attack familial history with body iron stores values.

The aim of this study was to evaluate body iron stores as predictors of insulin resistance. We developed a cross-sectional study among 123 men, 25-64 years of age and determined fasting plasma glucose, insulin, serum ferritin, and C-reactive protein levels. A survey was performed to record personal antecedents and family history of non-transmissible chronic diseases. Log-transformed ferritin levels was an independent predictor for log-transformed insulin resistance index assessed by homeostatic model assessment when body mass index or waist circumference were not included in multiple linear regression models. Sedentarism, heart attack family history, and log-C reactive protein levels were also significant predictors for insulin resistance. In conclusion, documented anthropometric predictors affect the significance of ferritin as a potential prediction variable for insulin resistance. Mechanisms of how body fat could influence ferritin levels should be evaluated. To our knowledge, this is the first evaluation of the relationship between body iron stores and insulin resistance in a Latin American population.

Copper and calcium are essential for human growth and development. The present study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between calcium and copper levels, as well as their relationship to age and anthropometry in 180 preschool children ages 2-5 years old. Serum copper levels were inversely correlated with age (r = -0.184, P = 0.032) and height (r = -0.175, P = 0.043) in the whole group and with height for age Z score only in male children (r = -0.291, P = 0.016). The correlation with age is not maintained when it is analyzed for gender. Serum calcium values in the total group were inversely correlated with weight (r = -0.153, P = 0.044) and weight for height Z score (r = -0.246, P = 0.001). No differences were found for gender in the levels of both metals. A negative relationship between serum calcium and copper was found only in male children (r = -0.339, P = 0.005). Studies are required in other populations and experimental designs that can explain an inverse relationship between serum calcium and copper levels.