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Introduction: The aims of this study were to examine cross-sectional, and longitudinal association of different measures of obesity and physical fitness with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in adolescents with Down syndrome. Methods: Longitudinal analysis included 90 adolescents with Down syndrome. Obesity and physical fitness were measured following the ALPHA battery. Blood pressure and blood samplings (glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and serum lipid triglycerides levels (mg/dl) were determinated. Results: In cross-sectional analyses, obesity was positively associated with single CVD risk factors and CVD risk factor index (all p < 0.05). In the prospective analyses, obesity was not associated with single CVD risk factors, but components of physical fitness at baseline impact in some single CVD risk factors (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: Obesity might be more strongly related to current cardiovascular-health, while components of physical fitness might be more related to future cardiovascular-health in adolescents with Down syndrome. [This article was written on behalf of the UP&DOWN Study Group.]

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the bidirectional longitudinal associations of several markers of fatness and physical fitness in adolescents with Down syndrome. Methods: This study comprised a total of 111 adolescents (41 females), aged from 11 to 20 years with complete data at the baseline. We had a drop-out of <10% from the baseline to the 2-year follow-up. The ALPHA health-related fitness test battery for youth was used. Results: Our results show that all fatness variables at the baseline were associated with a 2-year change in cardiorespiratory fitness ([beta] ranging from -0.32 to -0.38; all p < 0.05), but not with muscular and motor fitness (p > 0.05). However, no associations were found between physical fitness components as predictors and fatness indicators (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Results suggest that reducing fatness during adolescence might represent a modifiable factor to improve cardiorespiratory fitness at the 2-year follow-up, but not vice versa since associations were not bidirectional. [This article was written on behalf of the UP, DOWN study group.]