Predictors of cardiometabolic risk among adults with cerebral palsy

To examine the independent association between various anthropometric indicators and standard clinical markers of cardiometabolic health risk among adults with cerebral palsy (CP).

Cross-sectional study.

Clinical center for CP treatment and rehabilitation.

Adults with CP (N=43) with a mean age ± SD of 37.3±13.2 years, and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels of I-V.

Not applicable.

Adults with CP were assessed for body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WtHR), and serum lipid profiles. Data were analyzed with multiple regression analysis and general linear models, and are reported as means ± SDs.

Mean BMI was 29.1±7.8kg/m(2). BMI was not associated with any measures of cardiometabolic risk. Using GMFCS categories (2 groups: GMFCS levels I-III and IV-V), BMI was significantly lower among GMFCS levels IV-V (24.2±6.2kg/m(2)) versus GMFCS levels I-III (30.1±7.6kg/m(2)). WC and WtHR were not correlated with any cardiometabolic outcomes. Conversely, measures of WHR were independently associated with various indices of risk, including total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratio (r=.45; P<.05), HDL cholesterol (r=-.51; P<.01), and triglycerides (r=.40; P<.05), suggesting that greater WHR was indicative of elevated risk.

It is likely that WHR represents a stronger predictor of risk, because this measure was robustly and independently associated with 3 primary clinical markers of cardiometabolic health in adults with CP.