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Objective:: This study analyzed the frequency of cardiometabolic risk markers and metabolic syndrome occurrence in overweight and obese children and adolescents., Methods:: The participants included 161 overweight (n=65) and obese (n=96) individuals aged between 5 and 19 years. Clinical markers were assessed (body mass index, body fat percentage, waist circumference, acanthosis, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, laboratory parameters [glucose, insulin, cholesterol (total and fractions) and triglyceride levels and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index] and leptin and adiponectin levels). The frequency of changes, odds ratios and correlations among markers were determined. Metabolic syndrome was assessed according to International Diabetes Federation criteria., Results:: A high frequency of acanthosis (51.6%); increased waist circumference (45.4%), systolic blood pressure / diastolic blood pressure (8.1% / 9.3%), glucose (10%), insulin (36.9%) and HOMA-IR (44.3%) values; and reduced high-density lipoprotein levels (47.2%) were observed. Leptin levels were increased in 95% of obese and in 66% of overweight subjects. Adiponectin was decreased in 29.5% of obese and in 34% of overweight subjects. An odd ratio analysis revealed a greater probability of increased waist circumference (9.0), systolic blood pressure (4.1), triglyceride (2.3) and insulin (2.9) levels and HOMA-IR (3.0) in the obese group than in the overweight group. The clinical and laboratory parameters and leptin levels exhibited significant correlations, whereas adiponectin was negatively correlated with systolic blood pressure. The occurrence rate of metabolic syndrome was 13.6%., Conclusions:: The high frequency of changes in clinical, laboratory and adipokine markers indicates the need for early interventions aimed at preventing cardiometabolic complications in adulthood.

Objectives: To establish cut-off values for growth hormone concentrations using clonidine as a secretagogue and an immunochemiluminescent assay as the method of measurement and to analyze the response time as well as the influence of gender, nutritional status and pubertal stage., Methods: A total of 225 tests were performed in 3 patient groups, categorized as group 1 (normal), group 2 (idiopathic short stature) and group 3 (growth hormone deficiency). Among the 199 disease-free individuals, 138 were prepubertal, and 61 were pubertal. Clonidine (0.1 mg/m2) was orally administered, and the growth hormone level was measured by immunochemiluminescent assay. The growth hormone peak and the difference between the growth hormone peak and the baseline level were then analyzed. Statistical analyses were performed using Student's t-test or the Mann-Whitney test and Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn's post hoc test. Cut-off values were determined using a receiver operating characteristic curve., Results: Group 1 and group 2 had no difference in growth hormone peak, gender, body mass index standard deviation score, or pubertal stage. Group 3 exhibited a significantly lower growth hormone peak than the other groups did. The receiver operating characteristic curve demonstrated that growth hormone concentrations ≥ 3.0 ng/mL defined responsiveness to clonidine. In total, 3.02% of individuals in group 1 and group 2 were considered false positive, i.e., these children lacked growth hormone deficiency and had a peak below 3.0 ng/mL., Conclusion: Clonidine-stimulated growth hormone concentrations ≥3 ng/mL, as measured by immunochemiluminescent assay, suggest responsiveness to the stimulus regardless of gender, body mass index standard deviation score or pubertal stage.