Association of Anthropometric Measures with cardiovascular risk features in children and teenagers in Albania

Abstract We performed this study to establish the association among anthropometric amplitudes with cardiovascular hazard aspects and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in normal-weight Albanian children and adolescents. We examined the data of 3,658 children and adolescents (46.8% boys), aged 10-17 years, with a normal BMI (4th-83th percentile) obtained from a ‘Childhood and Adolescence Monitoring and Prevention of Adult Non-communicable Disease’ study. The International Diabetes Federation agreement classified the diagnostic criteria for MetS. The prevalence of MetS for 10- to 12.5-year-old boys, 14- to 17-year-old boys, 10- to 13.7-year-old girls, and 14- to 17-year-old girls were 1.3, 2.4, 2.1, and 2.9%, correspondingly. After adjusting age and sex, each item’s expansion in BMI (within normal range) and waist circumference enhanced the odds of MetS from 4 to 65 % and from 1 to 17 %, consequently. The main pattern of dyslipidemia among the respondents was elevated triglycerides and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Our study strengthened the latest research on the elevated frequency of metabolic risk factors among normal-weight individuals in the pediatric age group.