Impact of metabolic syndrome and its components on bone remodeling in adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: Osteoporosis and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are diseases that have serious public health consequences, reducing the quality of life of patients and increasing morbidity and mortality, with substantial healthcare expenditures. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of MetS on bone mineral density (BMD) and biochemical markers of bone formation and resorption in adolescents with excess weight. METHOD: A descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study was performed that evaluated 271 adolescents of both sexes (10 to 16 years). From the total sample, 42 adolescents with excess weight and the presence of MetS (14%) were selected. A further 42 adolescents with excess weight and without MetS were chosen, matched for chronological age, bone age, and pubertal developmental criteria to those with MetS, for each sex. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure collection, and biochemical tests were performed in all adolescents, as well as evaluation of BMD and the bone biomarkers osteocalcin (OC), bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP), and carboxy-terminal telopeptide (S-CTx). RESULTS: The adolescents with excess weight and MetS exhibited significantly lower transformed BMD and concentrations of BAP, OC, and S-CTx compared to the matched group, except for OC in boys. A negative and significant correlation was observed between total body BMD and BAP (r = -0.55568; p = 0.005), OC (r = -0.81760; p = < .000), and S-CTx (r = -0.53838; p = 0.011) in girls. CONCLUSION: Metabolic syndrome may be associated with reduced bone mineral density and biochemical markers of bone formation and resorption in adolescents with excess weight.

Metabolic syndrome reduces bone mineral density in overweight adolescents.

Growing concern has focused on the occurrence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its effects on bone mass. There is little information available in the literature concerning the relationship between MetS and BMD in adolescents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of MetS and its components on bone mineral density (BMD) in overweight adolescent boys and girls. This cross-sectional study assessed 271 overweight adolescents with or without MetS (age 10 to 16years). Anthropometric and biochemical tests were performed. Lumbar spine, proximal femur and total and subtotal body BMD values were obtained by bone densitometry with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. MetS was observed in 14% of the adolescents. Overweight adolescents of both genders who were positive for MetS presented with significant decreases in BMD (g/cm(2)/kg bodyweight) at all sites evaluated (p<0.01). Female adolescents with large waist circumference, low HDLc, hypertriglyceridemia and high blood pressure showed significant reductions in BMD at all sites evaluated (p<0.01) and, with the exception of increased triglycerides (which had no effect on BMD, p>0.05), the same pattern was observed in male adolescents. Linear regression analyses revealed that waist circumference was negatively correlated with BMD in both genders and that triglycerides were negatively correlated with BMD only in female adolescents. Our results suggest that overweight adolescents with MetS have lower BMD than adolescents without MetS. Among all MetS components measured, increased waist circumference had the strongest relationship with reductions in BMD.