Síndrome metabólico en jóvenes: Diagnóstico y tratamiento

In adults, metabolic syndrome can be defined as a complex clinical condition characterized by a combination of risk factors that are associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Recently, it has been shown that the same risk factors can be observed in children and adolescents. These include obesity, high blood pressure, and alterations in lipid and glucose metabolism, all of which predispose to the precocious development of atherosclerotic lesions in coronary arteries and the aorta. Insulin resistance seems to play an important role in the pathophysiology of the syndrome. It increases sympathetic nervous system activity, sodium retention, and blood pressure, and stimulates the growth of vascular cells. All of these factors are related to cardiovascular risk. Obesity and hypertension can be diagnosed on the basis of normal distributions for the population. Exceeding the following 95 percentiles should be considered as abnormal: > 110 mg/dL for glucose, > 150 mg/dL for triglycerides, and < 45 mg/dL for high-density lipoprotein. Treatment starts with restricting excessive calorie and sodium intake, the adoption of a low fat and low carbohydrate diet, and regular physical exercise. If this fails, drugs can be used. However, the most important goal is to change the patient's lifestyle by introducing a healthy diet and increasing physical activity. This approach should be applied to the entire population.