Anthropometric variations and low resting energy expenditure as a cause of metabolic risk in adult patients with Turner syndrome

There is currently little evidence available about the metabolic behaviour in adult patients with Turner syndrome (TS). Metabolic complications are common in adult TS patients, increasing morbidity and impairing quality of life. Body composition is altered in TS, secondary to the short stature. Metabolic damage in patients with TS is an important medical issue due to complications observed in adulthood.

Aim

Study some of the aspects involved in the origin of the metabolic damage.

Methods

We conducted an observational, cross-sectional, comparative, descriptive study in 20 adult patients with TS and 20 control patients matched by age, waist circumference, waist circumference/height ratio (W/Hr) as sensitive parameters for metabolic risk. Anthropometric, body composition, resting energy expenditure data and blood samples for blood chemistry, lipid and thyroid profile were considered. Multivariate analysis of variance and the Student's T-test were used to analyse the data all the patients’ data were corrected according to the predicted specific formula for adult TS.

Results

Statistically significant differences in energy expenditure (REE) modifications and in free fat mass per weight percentage were observed.

Conclusion

Differences in anthropometric values and REE in TS could be implicated in the metabolic damage, and are attributable to the syndrome and not to the body composition.