Metabolic Syndrome in Children and Adolescents: Looking to New Markers

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) was first defined by Reaven, but its diagnostic criteria are controversial, particularly in children and adolescents. MetS is a common health problem globally, and many studies revealed its association with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, and hence an agreed definition would be useful. To date, many attempts have been performed to achieve consensus and a more accurate definition by investigating new criteria, and introducing new markers and cutoff values. The prevalence of MetS varies greatly, in part due to the application of these different criteria. This variation in definition makes it difficult for public health professionals to accurately identify and manage MetS in pediatrics. New components in defining MetS, such as hyperuricemia, have been added to the standard criteria. An attempt has also been made to identify reliable biomarkers for the identification of MetS, but these have been inconsistent. Even for standard components including obesity, new cutoff criteria that have been adopted for different ethnicities, and gender, the search for a better understanding of MetS is continuing especially in pediatrics.