Abstract

RODRIGUEZ DOMINGUEZ, Lourdes et al. Overweight and dyslipidemias in teenagers. Rev Cubana Pediatr [online]. 2014, vol.86, n.4, pp.433-444. ISSN 0034-7531.

Introduction: there is a current consensus that the atherosclerotic process begins at childhood and that dyslipidemia is one of the atherogenic risk factors to be studied together with the nutritional assessment for the adequate prevention of atherosclerosis. Objective: to identify some early signs of atherosclerosis such as overweight and dyslipidemias in teenagers. Methods: a cross-sectional descriptive study of 372 teenagers from "Protesta de Baragua" junior high school. Weight, height, body mass index and waist circumference were measured. Blood samples were taken after 12 hour fasting. Total cholesterol, low and high density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride were all measured. The statistical analysis included the t test among nutritional assessment and lipid variables between sexes and the error probability was lower than 0.05. Results: weight, height and waist circumference means were higher in males (p< 0.05). Overweight was 23.7 % and from the 90-97th percentile, the excessive abdominal fat was 21.8 %. The mean of total cholesterol, high and low density lipoproteins and triglycerides was similar in both sexes, with no significant relation (p> 0.05). In this group, 18.5 % of adolescents presented with borderline high total cholesterol, 26.6 % showed borderline high triglyceride rate and 7.5 % had high cholesterol, being females predominant. Conclusions: one fourth of adolescents approximately exhibited overweight and increased abdominal fat; almost 25 % had reached borderline and high total cholesterol whereas the most observed lipid disorder was hypertrigliceridemia.

Keywords : total cholesterol; high density lipoproteins; low density lipoproteins; triglycerides; obesity; body mass index; waist circumference; adolescents.

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