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ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of components of the metabolic syndrome in adolescents with spinal cord injury (SCI) and spina bifida (SB), and their associations with obesity in subjects with and without SCI and SB.MethodsFifty-four subjects (20 SCI and 34 SB) age 11 to 20 years with mobility impairments from lower extremity paraparesis were recruited from a hospital-based clinic. Sixty able-bodied subjects who were oversampled for obesity served as controls (CTRL). Subjects were categorized as obese if their percent trunk fat measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was > 30.0% for males and > 35.0% for females. Ten SCI, 24 SB, and 19 CTRL subjects were classified as obese. Fasting serum samples were collected to determine serum glucose, insulin, and lipid concentrations. Metabolic syndrome was defined as having > or =3 of the following components: (a) obesity; (b) high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or =95th percentile for age/ height/gender, and (e) insulin resistance determined by either fasting serum glucose 100-125 mg/dL; fasting insulin > or =20 microU /mL; or homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance > or = 4.0.ResultsMetabolic syndrome was identified in 32.4% of the SB group and 55% of the SCI group. Metabolic syndrome occurred at a significantly higher frequency in obese subjects (SB = 45.8%, SCI = 100%, CTRL = 63.2%) than nonobese subjects (SB = 0%, SCI = 10%, CTRL = 2.4%).ConclusionsThe prevalence of metabolic syndrome in adolescents with SB/SCI is quite high, particularly in obese individuals. These findings have important implications due to the known risks of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus associated with metabolic syndrome in adults, particularly those with spinal cord dysfunction.

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of components of the metabolic syndrome in adolescents with spinal cord injury (SCI) and spina bifida (SB), and their associations with obesity in subjects with and without SCI and SB.MethodsFifty-four subjects (20 SCI and 34 SB) age 11 to 20 years with mobility impairments from lower extremity paraparesis were recruited from a hospital-based clinic. Sixty able-bodied subjects who were oversampled for obesity served as controls (CTRL). Subjects were categorized as obese if their percent trunk fat measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was > 30.0% for males and > 35.0% for females. Ten SCI, 24 SB, and 19 CTRL subjects were classified as obese. Fasting serum samples were collected to determine serum glucose, insulin, and lipid concentrations. Metabolic syndrome was defined as having > or =3 of the following components: (a) obesity; (b) high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or =95th percentile for age/ height/gender, and (e) insulin resistance determined by either fasting serum glucose 100-125 mg/dL; fasting insulin > or =20 microU /mL; or homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance > or = 4.0.ResultsMetabolic syndrome was identified in 32.4% of the SB group and 55% of the SCI group. Metabolic syndrome occurred at a significantly higher frequency in obese subjects (SB = 45.8%, SCI = 100%, CTRL = 63.2%) than nonobese subjects (SB = 0%, SCI = 10%, CTRL = 2.4%).ConclusionsThe prevalence of metabolic syndrome in adolescents with SB/SCI is quite high, particularly in obese individuals. These findings have important implications due to the known risks of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus associated with metabolic syndrome in adults, particularly those with spinal cord dysfunction.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were: (1) to compare the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of children and adolescents with mobility impairments due to spinal cord injury (SCI) and spina bifida (SB) to the HRQOL of children and adolescent controls without mobility impairments (CTRL); and (2) to examine the impact of of obesity on the HRQOL of these subjects., Methods: The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) was administered to 42 SB, 71 SCI and 60 able-bodied subjects who were 8-20 years of age. Subjects were categorized as obese if their BMI exceeded the 95th percentile for age. Twenty-one CTRL, 26 SB and 26 SCI subjects were obese., Results: The SCI and SB subjects had significantly lower subscores than the control subjects on the physical (p < 0.001), emotional (p < .01), social (p < .001), and school (p < .001) domains of the PedsQL. The obese (CTRL) group had lower subscores on the physical (p < 0.001), social (p < 0.001), and psychosocial (p < 0.001) domains of the PedsQL as compared to the non-obese CTRL group, while there were no significant differences in subscores from the emotional and school domains. In contrast to the subjects without mobility impairment, there were no significant differences between the sub-scores of the obese and non-obese subjects with spinal cord dysfunction secondary to SCI or SB. The mean total PedsQL score of the non-obese control group (87.7 +/- 2.1) was significantly higher than the obese control group (75.2 +/- 3.4, p < 0.02), which in turn was significantly higher than the SCI group (63.7 +/- 2.2, p < 0.02), and the SB group (63.0 +/- 2.2, p < 0.02)., Conclusion: Patients with SCI and SB have significantly lower HRQOL than children and adolescents without mobility impairments. Whereas obesity significantly reduces the quality of life scores of adolescents without mobility impairments, it has no significant incremental effect on subjects with SCI or SB.

Background/objective: Determine the effects of a nutrition education and exercise intervention on the health and fitness of adolescents with mobility impairment due to spinal cord dysfunction from myelomeningocele and spinal cord injury. Subjects participated in a 16-week intervention consisting of a behavioral approach to lifestyle change, exercise, and nutrition education to improve fitness (BENEfit) program. Participants were given a schedule of aerobic and strengthening exercises and attended nutrition education and behavior modification sessions every other week along with their parent(s)., Subjects: Twenty adolescents (aged 11-18 years, mean 15.4 +/- 2.2 years) with spinal cord dysfunction., Methods: Subjects were tested immediately prior to starting and upon completion of the program. Aerobic fitness was measured using a ramp protocol with an arm ergometer. Heart rate and oxygen uptake were measured. Values at anaerobic threshold and maximum oxygen uptake were recorded. Peak isokinetic arm and shoulder strength were determined with a dynamometer. Body composition was estimated with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Serum chemistry included measures of cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides., Results: Fourteen individuals completed all testing sessions. There was no significant overall change in weight, body mass index, body mass index z-scores, or serum chemistry. Overall, there was a significant increase in whole body lean tissue without a concomitant increase in whole body fat. Fitness measures revealed a significant increase in maximum power output, work efficiency as measured by the amount of power output produced aerobically, and resting oxygen uptake. Strength measurements revealed a significant increase in shoulder extension strength and a trend towards increased shoulder flexion strength. There were no significant changes in high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, or triglycerides., Conclusions: The BENEfit program shows promise as a method for improving the health and fitness of adolescents with mobility impairments who are at high risk for obesity and obesity-related health conditions.

Background/objective: To determine the body composition of adolescents with spinal cord injury (SCI) and to assess whether established cutoff values for obesity determined by body mass index (BMI) are valid for this population., Methods: Sixty patients, aged 10-21 years, with traumatic SCI (50 with paraplegia and 10 with tetraplegia) were compared with 60 gender-, age-, and BMI-matched controls (CTRL). Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry was used to estimate regional and total bone mineral content, lean tissue mass, fat tissue mass, and body fat percentage. BMI was calculated from measured weight and stature (kg/m2)., Results: Total percent body fat was significantly higher in the paraplegia group (31.4% +/- 1.2%; mean +/- SE) than in the tetraplegia and CTRL groups (25.7% +/- 2.7% and 22.9% +/- 1.1%, respectively). This change in percent total body fat was associated with a reduction of lean tissue mass in the paraplegia (37.6 +/- 1.1 kg; mean +/- SE) and tetraplegia (32.8 +/- 2.5 kg) subjects as compared to the CTRL group (46.2 +/- 1.0 kg; P < 0.001). Total fat mass was significantly greater in the paraplegia group (19.3 +/- 1.3 kg) than the CTRL and tetraplegia groups (14.9 +/- 1.2 kg and 11.7 +/- 3.0 kg, respectively). Regional measurements revealed that the greatest reduction of lean tissue mass in the SCI subjects occurred in the lower extremities, followed by the trunk. As a result of these changes in body composition, the optimal BMI for classifying obesity (trunk fat percent >30 in males and >35 in females) in subjects with SCI was 19 kg/m2 as compared to 25 kg/m2 in able-bodied subjects., Conclusions: Patients aged 10 to 21 years with SCI have significantly decreased lean tissue mass and bone mineral content, and increased fat mass. As a result, traditional BMI cutoff criteria significantly underestimate obesity in this population. New clinically applicable criteria to define obesity should be established for SCI children and adolescents with SCI.

Objectives: To compare body composition in patients aged 11 to 21 years with spinal dysfunction due to spinal cord injury (SCI) and spina bifida (SB) vs. able-bodied control (CTRL) and able-bodied overweight (OW) groups and to examine the relationships between resting energy expenditure (REE) and total lean mass (TLM) in the SCI, SB, CTRL, and OW groups., Methods: Two hundred fifteen subjects, including 85 CTRL, 31 OW, 33 SCI, and 66 SB, were evaluated. Body composition was estimated by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Measurements included height, weight, total lean mass (TLM), fat tissue mass (FTM), body mass index (BMI), BMI percentile (BMI%tile), and % fat. Resting energy measurements were obtained in fasting subjects with an open-circuit indirect calorimeter., Results: There were gender differences in height, weight, BMI, TLM, fat mass, % fat, and REE. The REE in the SCI and SB groups was significantly different from that in the CTRL and OW groups, but no significant difference was found between the SCI and SB groups. The SB group had significantly higher REE/TLM ratios than did the other groups. The % fat was significantly higher in the SB and OW groups as compared to the CTRL and SCI groups. TLM was significantly higher in CTRL and OW groups as compared to SCI and SB groups, with the lowest TLM found in the SB group., Conclusion: Patients aged 11 to 21 years with SB or SCI have significant lean tissue mass deficits by DXA as compared to able-bodied CTRL and OW groups, with the greatest deficits in total lean mass measured in SB. The absolute REE values were significantly reduced in both SCI and SB groups in association with their lean tissue deficits. Interestingly, REE/TLM ratios were remarkably constant in the CTRL, OW, and SCI groups but significantly elevated in the SB group. One would expect an even greater degree of adiposity in the SB group if their REE/TLM ratios were not elevated relative to those without congenital paralysis.