Increasing Prevalence of Pediatric Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components among Arab Youth: A Time-Series Study from 2010–2019

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of cardiometabolic disorders, mostly studied in adults with certain ethnic groups, such as Arabs with higher predisposition and heritability. In this time-series study, we tried to determine the prevalence of MetS in the Arabic pediatric population from 2010–2019 to gauge the need to intervene in the younger population. Methods: A total of 7985 Saudi school children aged 12–18 coming from different sets of cohorts in different timepoints were included in this time-series studies (Year 2010, n = 2081, 877 boys and 1204 girls; Year 2015, n = 3360, 1625 boys and 1735 girls, Year 2019, n = 2544, 956 boys and 1588 girls). Anthropometrics were measured as well as fasting blood samples for the assessment of lipids and glucose. Screening for MetS was conducted using the pediatric definition obtained from the 2004 definition of de Ferranti et al. Results: In 2010, the prevalence of MetS was 11.8%, which increased sharply to 20.1% in 2015 and again in 2019 to 20.6%. Stratified according to sex, the increased prevalence of MetS was more evident in boys with only 7.8% in 2010 jumping to 25.3% in 2019. In girls, the increase in prevalence was modest with 14.8% in 2010 to 17.7% in 2019. In both boys and girls, the highest increase in prevalence among MetS components was observed to be low HDL-cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, and central obesity, respectively. Conclusions: The alarming increase in pediatric MetS among Arab children and adolescents over a short timespan have significant clinical and economic implications if not addressed immediately. Health policy makers should implement lifestyle interventions aimed at high-risk children or overweight youths.

[1]  Ilias Mahmud,et al.  Physical inactivity and its predictors among adolescents in Saudi Arabia , 2021, Saudi medical journal.

[2]  H. Oh,et al.  Duration and Content Type of Smartphone Use in Relation to Diet and Adiposity in 53,133 Adolescents , 2021, Current Developments in Nutrition.

[3]  N. Goswami,et al.  The prevalence of pediatric metabolic syndrome—a critical look on the discrepancies between definitions and its clinical importance , 2020, International Journal of Obesity.

[4]  S. Yokum,et al.  Adolescents’ Addictive Phone Use: Associations with Eating Behaviors and Adiposity , 2020, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[5]  N. Saquib,et al.  Gaming addiction and perceived stress among Saudi adolescents , 2020, Addictive behaviors reports.

[6]  T. Tamura,et al.  Associations of Cell Phone Use and Screen Viewing with Overweight in Children. , 2019, Childhood obesity.

[7]  N. Al-Daghri,et al.  Effects of different vitamin D supplementation strategies in reversing metabolic syndrome and its component risk factors in adolescents , 2019, The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

[8]  A. Al-Hussaini,et al.  Overweight and obesity among Saudi children and adolescents: Where do we stand today? , 2019, Saudi journal of gastroenterology : official journal of the Saudi Gastroenterology Association.

[9]  D. Haroun,et al.  Metabolic syndrome among adolescents in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is attributable to the high prevalence of low HDL levels: a cross-sectional study , 2018, BMC Public Health.

[10]  A. Bahathiq.  Metabolic syndrome in young Saudi females , 2018 .

[11]  Vandana S. Raman,et al.  Metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents. , 2017, Translational pediatrics.

[12]  C. Mameli,et al.  An update on the assessment and management of metabolic syndrome, a growing medical emergency in paediatric populations , 2017, Pharmacological research.

[13]  F. Azizi,et al.  Instability of different adolescent metabolic syndrome definitions tracked into early adulthood metabolic syndrome: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS) , 2017, Pediatric diabetes.

[14]  R. Jayawardena,et al.  Prevalence and trends of metabolic syndrome among adults in the asia-pacific region: a systematic review , 2017, BMC Public Health.

[15]  M. Izquierdo,et al.  Metabolic Syndrome and Associated Factors in a Population-Based Sample of Schoolchildren in Colombia: The FUPRECOL Study. , 2016, Metabolic syndrome and related disorders.

[16]  Haifa Alyahya,et al.  Smartphone addiction among university students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia , 2016, Saudi medical journal.

[17]  J. Kanu,et al.  Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in mainland china: a meta-analysis of published studies , 2016, BMC Public Health.

[18]  G. Chrousos,et al.  Vitamin D Deficiency and Cardiometabolic Risks: A Juxtaposition of Arab Adolescents and Adults , 2015, PloS one.

[19]  S. Daniels,et al.  Adolescent oligomenorrhea (age 14-19) tracks into the third decade of life (age 20-28) and predicts increased cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic syndrome. , 2015, Metabolism: clinical and experimental.

[20]  J. Churilla,et al.  Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and individual criterion in US adolescents: 2001-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. , 2014, Metabolic syndrome and related disorders.

[21]  Alan D. Lopez,et al.  Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 , 2014, The Lancet.

[22]  N. Al-Daghri,et al.  Does visceral adiposity index signify early metabolic risk in children and adolescents?: Association with insulin resistance, adipokines, and subclinical inflammation , 2014, Pediatric Research.

[23]  Ibrahim Al Hariri,et al.  Prevalence of overweight and obesity among Saudi primary school students in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia , 2014 .

[24]  N. Tandon,et al.  Prevalence of metabolic syndrome among urban Indian adolescents and its relation with insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) , 2013, Journal of pediatric endocrinology & metabolism : JPEM.

[25]  L. Craig,et al.  The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in children: a systematic review of the literature. , 2013, Metabolic syndrome and related disorders.

[26]  R. Kelishadi,et al.  Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a National Sample of Adolescent Population in the Middle East and North Africa: The CASPIAN III Study , 2013, International journal of endocrinology.

[27]  Gregory Kaltsas,et al.  Metabolic syndrome: definitions and controversies , 2011, BMC medicine.

[28]  G. Gibson,et al.  Parent-Offspring Transmission of Adipocytokine Levels and Their Associations with Metabolic Traits , 2011, PloS one.

[29]  N. Al-Daghri.  Extremely high prevalence of metabolic syndrome manifestations among Arab youth: a call for early intervention , 2010, European journal of clinical investigation.

[30]  G. Chrousos,et al.  Hypovitaminosis D and cardiometabolic risk factors among non-obese youth , 2010 .

[31]  T. Kecojević,et al.  Prevalence of overweight and obesity in Saudi children and adolescents , 2010, Annals of Saudi medicine.

[32]  S. Grundy,et al.  Harmonizing the metabolic syndrome: a joint interim statement of the International Diabetes Federation Task Force on Epidemiology and Prevention; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; American Heart Association; World Heart Federation; International Atherosclerosis Society; and International As , 2009, Circulation.

[33]  Yanping Li,et al.  Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in Chinese adolescents , 2008, British Journal of Nutrition.

[34]  Alyce Adams,et al.  Why is the Developed World Obese? , 2007, Annual review of public health.

[35]  K. Gauvreau,et al.  Prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome in American Adolescents: Findings From the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey , 2004, Circulation.

[36]  H. Al-Hazzaa.  THE PUBLIC HEALTH BURDEN OF PHYSICAL INACTIVITY IN SAUDI ARABIA , 2004, Journal of family & community medicine.

[37]  W. Dietz,et al.  Prevalence of a metabolic syndrome phenotype in adolescents: findings from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994. , 2003, Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine.

[38]  H. Tamim,et al.  Cardiometabolic risk among Saudi children and adolescents: Saudi children’s overweight, obesity, and lifestyles (S.Ch.O.O.Ls) study , 2014, Annals of Saudi medicine.

[39]  H. Minuk,et al.  Metabolic syndrome. , 2005, Journal of insurance medicine.

[40]  M. Goran,et al.  The metabolic syndrome in overweight Hispanic youth and the role of insulin sensitivity. , 2004, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.