Introduction:

health is essential for social growth. In recent years, there has been an emphasis on primary prevention. In this context, metabolic syndrome (MS) is a relevant issue, given its potential impact on cardiovascular, circulatory and metabolic health. Childhood is the most appropriate time for intervention, as corrective measures and strategies can be implemented in this period.

Objective:

the aim of our study was to establish the prevalence of MS in the children of Comodoro Rivadavia (Argentina) to contribute information that may be useful in the development of preventive strategies.

Material and methods:

the study included 317 children (174 girls and 143 boys) aged 6 to 11 years that regularly attended neighbourhood centres and the 3 schools of Comodoro Rivadavia. Having obtained parental informed consent, we measured their weight, height, waist circumference collected and blood pressure and obtained a blood sample to measure serum levels of triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and glucose.

Results:

applying the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) criteria modified by Cook, we found a prevalence of MS of 3.50% in boys and 3.40% in girls, without a statistically significant difference between the sexes. We found waist circumference values above normal, elevation of triglycerides in blood, raised blood pressure and low levels of HDL cholesterol.

Conclusions:

these preliminary results highlight the need of performing more thorough investigations for the early detection of MB in the paediatric age group with the aim of preventing the development of chronic diseases in the future.

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