Adiponectin Independently Predicts Metabolic Syndrome in Overweight Latino Youth

Context: Adiponectin may be important in the pathogenesis of in-sulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome in youth. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the unique effect of adiponectin on the metabolic syndrome in overweight Latino youth. Participants: Participants included 175 overweight children (aged 11.1 1.7 yr, body mass index percentile 97.3 2.9) with a family history of type 2 diabetes. Methods: Metabolic syndrome was defined according to a pediatric adaptation of the Adult Treatment Panel III report and included dyslipidemia, abdominal obesity, elevated blood pressure, and pre-diabetes (impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance from a 2-h oral glucose tolerance test). Body composition was estimated via dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, insulin sensitivity was quantified by the frequently sampled iv glucose tolerance test, visceral fat wa