Synergy Between Adiposity, Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Risk Factors, and Inflammation in Adolescents

OBJECTIVE — The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between inflam-matory markers and components of a metabolic syndrome cluster in adolescents. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS — This was a cross-sectional analysis of an Australian childhood cohort (n 1,377) aged 14 years. Cluster analysis defined a “high-risk” group similar to adults with metabolic syndrome. Relevant measures were anthropometry, fasting insulin, glucose, lipids, inflammatory markers, liver function, and blood pressure. RESULTS — Of the children, 29 % fell into a high-risk metabolic cluster group compared with 2 % by a pediatric metabolic syndrome definition. Relative to the “low-risk ” cluster, they had higher BMI (95 % CI 19.5–19.8 vs. 24.5–25.4), waist circumference (centimeters) (95 % CI 71.0–71.8 vs. 83.4–85.8), insulin (units per liter) (95 % CI 1.7–1.8 vs. 3.5–3.9), homeostasis model assessment (95 % CI 1.7–1.8 vs. 3.5–3.9), systolic blood pressure (millimeters of mercury) (95 % CI 110.8–112.1 vs. 116.7–118.9), and triglycerides (millimoles per liter) (95 % CI 0.78– 0.80 vs. 1.25–1.35) and lower HDL cholesterol (millimoles per liter) (95 % CI 1.44–1.48 vs. 1.20–1.26). Inflammatory and liver function markers were higher in the high-risk group: C-re-active protein (CRP) (P 0.001), uric acid (P 0.001), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (