Metabolic Syndrome in Childhood Obesity

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 May 2025) | Viewed by 3876

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Clinical Service for Dyslipidemias, Study and Prevention of Atherosclerosis in Childhood, Pediatrics Unit, ASST-Santi Paolo e Carlo, 20142 Milan, Italy
Interests: nutrition; lipid metabolism disorders; cardiovascular prevention in pediatric age; metabolic diseases
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Guest Editor
Clinical Department of Pediatrics, San Paolo Hospital, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo-San Paolo University Hospital, 20142 Milan, Italy
Interests: pediatric; dietary interventions; familial hypercholesterolemia; dyslipidemia; nutraceuticals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Obesity represents one of today’s greatest public health challenges and has important implications in both the short and long term even in pediatric patients. Our aim here is to delve into the metabolic aspects of obesity in children and adolescents with a focus on alterations in lipid profiles, glucose metabolism, hepatic involvement (MAFLD), and all the clinical and biochemical features of so-called metabolic syndrome that we can now identify and treat in children.

In this Special Issue, we welcome original research articles, reviews, and short papers on metabolic syndrome and obesity in children related to diagnostic and treatment modalities related to lifestyle changes, dietary–nutritional interventions, and pharmacological treatments that could be used as early as adolescence.

Dr. Cristina Pederiva
Dr. Giuseppe Banderali
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • metabolic syndrome
  • dyslipidemia
  • glucose metabolism
  • dietary intervention
  • pediatric obesity

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 845 KiB  
Article
The Effect of GnRH Analogs on Body Mass Index in Girls with Central Precocious Puberty: A Single-Center Retrospective Study with a Literature Review
by Ignazio Cammisa, Elena Malavolta, Federica Arzilli, Giulia Rotunno, Donato Rigante and Clelia Cipolla
Children 2025, 12(3), 336; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12030336 - 7 Mar 2025
Viewed by 921
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Central precocious puberty (CPP) is defined by the premature onset of secondary sexual characteristics prior to the age of 8 and 9 years in girls and boys, respectively. The administration of GnRH analogs (GnRH-a) has become a cornerstone in the management of [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Central precocious puberty (CPP) is defined by the premature onset of secondary sexual characteristics prior to the age of 8 and 9 years in girls and boys, respectively. The administration of GnRH analogs (GnRH-a) has become a cornerstone in the management of CPP, but effects on metabolic processes, particularly body mass index (BMI), remain a subject of ongoing investigation. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between GnRH-a treatment and BMI changes in a cohort of Italian children with CPP. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 34 girls with idiopathic CPP, all treated with GnRH-a. Anthropometric parameters including BMI were collected at three time points: baseline, one year after treatment, and one year after treatment cessation. A comprehensive review of the medical literature concerning GnRH-a and BMI was performed. Results: Statistical analysis using the Wilcoxon and McNemar tests revealed a significant increase in BMI-for-age z-scores after one year of GnRH-a, with a slight increase also observed one year post-treatment of CPP. These findings suggest that GnRH-a treatment contributes to an increase in BMI, particularly in CPP children with a normal weight at baseline, although the overall impact on the progression of obesity remains minimal. A review of the existing literature supports the notion that changes in BMI during GnRH-a treatment are influenced by various factors, including baseline BMI, gender, and metabolic processes. Conclusions: Despite our findings suggesting the potential impact of GnRH-a on BMI, further longitudinal studies are necessary to fully understand the long-term metabolic consequences of GnRH-a therapy in children with CPP. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolic Syndrome in Childhood Obesity)
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10 pages, 1183 KiB  
Article
Diagnosis and Screening Strategies for Detection of Familial Hypercholesterolaemia in Children and Adolescents in Italy: A Survey from the LIPIGEN Paediatric Group
by Cristina Pederiva, Federica Galimberti, Manuela Casula, Giuseppe Banderali, Guglielmo Beccuti, Vanessa Bianconi, Giacomo Biasucci, Marta Biolo, Marco Bucci, Paola Sabrina Buonuomo, Paolo Calabrò, Stefano Carugo, Angelo Baldassare Cefalù, Nadia Citroni, Nicholas Cocomello, Sergio D’Addato, Simona Gatti, Simonetta Genovesi, Ornella Guardamagna, Gabriella Iannuzzo, Lorenzo Iughetti, Giuseppe Mandraffino, Lorenzo Maroni, Ilenia Minicocci, Giuliana Mombelli, Tiziana Montalcini, Sara Moriglia, Sandro Muntoni, Fabio Nascimbeni, Angelina Passaro, Fabio Pellegatta, Livia Pisciotta, Elena Sani, Francesco Sbrana, Roberto Scicali, Patrizia Suppressa, José Pablo Werba, Maria Grazia Zenti, Marcello Arca, Maurizio Averna, Sebastiano Calandra, Alberico Luigi Catapano, Patrizia Tarugi and Maria Elena Capraadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Children 2025, 12(3), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12030288 - 26 Feb 2025
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Abstract
Background: Awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) starting from childhood are a cornerstone of cardiovascular disease prevention. The LIPIGEN Paediatric Group, a network of specialised centres for the diagnosis and management of familial genetic dyslipidemia, is an active part of this [...] Read more.
Background: Awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) starting from childhood are a cornerstone of cardiovascular disease prevention. The LIPIGEN Paediatric Group, a network of specialised centres for the diagnosis and management of familial genetic dyslipidemia, is an active part of this mission. Materials and Methods: This is the second exploratory survey organised within the LIPIGEN (LIpid transPort disorders Italian GEnetic Network) paediatric centres. A digital questionnaire consisting of 16 questions was proposed to the principal investigators of 35 LIPIGEN centres in September 2023. We analysed the main FH screening strategies implemented in Italy, which are the referral characteristics to the lipid clinics and clinical and biochemical criteria considered to diagnose FH in paediatric patients. Results: Centres frequently reported conducting cascade screening (88.6%) and reverse screening (57.1%), whereas 28.6% of respondents indicated using selective screening and only 5.7% reported employing child–parent screening. We documented a detailed biochemical characterisation of paediatric patients (62.9% of respondents usually perform full lipoprotein profile and 80% determine lipoprotein(a) for each patient) and a high percentage of genetic analysis (82.9%). We have also highlighted a quite low awareness of FH as a genetic condition involving paediatric patients among primary care paediatricians and general practitioners. Conclusions: The results of our survey show that specialised lipid centres usually have good diagnostic competence when dealing with paediatric patients with hypercholesterolemia. However, FH awareness and the importance of early diagnosis and treatment initiation in childhood still need to be further improved. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolic Syndrome in Childhood Obesity)
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9 pages, 265 KiB  
Article
Neck Circumference as a Valuable Tool to Identify the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in Mexican Children
by Evelyn Valencia-Sosa, Guillermo Julián González-Pérez, Clío Chávez-Palencia, María Guadalupe Vega-López and Enrique Romero-Velarde
Children 2024, 11(8), 908; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11080908 - 27 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1666
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Neck circumference (NC) has been proposed as a simple measurement to identify patients with overweight and obesity. It has been found that adipose tissue at the cervical level is associated with the presence of metabolic alterations. The aim of this study was [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Neck circumference (NC) has been proposed as a simple measurement to identify patients with overweight and obesity. It has been found that adipose tissue at the cervical level is associated with the presence of metabolic alterations. The aim of this study was to estimate the association between NC and indicators of Metabolic Syndrome (MS) to subsequently estimate its capacity to identify the risk of MS compared to waist circumference (WC) and Body Mass Index (BMI). Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of 286 children 6–9 years old who attended six public primary schools in Jalisco, Mexico. Pearson’s correlation coefficients along with sensitivity and specificity tests were performed to analyze the relationship between NC and MS indicators. Odds ratio (OR) and concordance analyses were performed considering the Kappa index. Results: NC showed statistically significant correlations with all MS indicators except for LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol. The cut-off points of NC to identify MS according to sex was >27.4 cm for girls and >29.8 cm for boys. The association of NC with values above the cutoff point and the presence of MS was OR: 21.6 (CI: 7.11–65.74). Conclusions: NC represents a simple and cost-effective alternative to identify children at risk of MS when compared to BMI and WC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolic Syndrome in Childhood Obesity)
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