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Metabolic syndrome in children with Prader-Willi syndrome: the effect of obesity

P Brambilla1, A Crinò, G Bedogni

  • 1ASL Milano 2, Milano, Italy. paolo.brambilla3@tin.it

Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases : NMCD
|January 22, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is uncommon in non-obese Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) patients. Obese PWS individuals show MS rates similar to obese controls, highlighting obesity

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Metabolic Disorders
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is the most common genetic cause of obesity, associated with significant health risks.
  • The prevalence and characteristics of metabolic syndrome (MS) in pediatric PWS populations are not well-established.
  • Understanding MS in PWS is crucial for managing associated morbidities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the frequency of metabolic syndrome (MS) and its individual components in pediatric patients with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS).
  • To compare the prevalence of MS and its components between obese and non-obese PWS children.
  • To evaluate the impact of obesity status on MS development in PWS.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 109 children with PWS (aged 2-18 years), categorized as obese or non-obese.
  • Comparison group included 96 simple obese children matched for age, gender, and BMI.
  • Assessment included hypertension, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose metabolism, insulin, and HOMA-index.

Main Results:

  • Non-obese PWS children had significantly lower rates of hypertension, low HDL-cholesterol, and high triglycerides compared to obese PWS children and obese controls.
  • While altered glucose metabolism was similar across groups, type 2 diabetes occurred only in obese PWS patients.
  • Overall MS prevalence was 7.3% in PWS, with none in non-obese PWS versus 16% in obese PWS and controls.

Conclusions:

  • Obesity status is a critical determinant of metabolic syndrome (MS) in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS).
  • Non-obese PWS patients exhibit a low frequency of MS and its components.
  • Obese PWS patients have MS prevalence comparable to obese controls, emphasizing obesity prevention and early MS detection in PWS management.
Abstract

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