Obesity and cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents attending public schools

Background: Overweight in adolescence is a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. Objective: To study the association of cardiovascular risk factors (CRF) in overweight and normal-weight adolescents of both genders aged from 14 to 19 years, attending public schools. Methods: Case-control study including 163 overweight and 151 normal-weight adolescents. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the associations between overweight and CRF (lipid profile, blood pressure and baseline insulin level). A set of CRF was defined for each individual, ranging from 0 (no risk factors) to 6 (all risk factors present). Results: Overweight adolescents (body mass index > 85 percentile) presented a higher frequency of CRF in comparison to the normal-weight group. The CRF associated with overweight were HDLc ≤ 35 mg/dl (OR = 3.41; CI: 1.24-9.38), triglycerides ≥ 150 mg/dl (OR = 3.04; CI: 1.01-9.13), abnormal baseline insulin levels > 15 μU/ml (OR = 8.65; CI: 4.03-18.56) and abnormal blood pressure (OR = 3.69; CI: 1.76-7.72). Among overweight adolescents, 22.09% had more than three risk factors, whereas this percentage dropped to 6.12% among normal-weight adolescents. Conclusion: Overweight adolescents presented risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. The need for programs and policies targeted at the diagnosis and treatment of this condition is pointed out in order to reduce the risks of morbidity and mortality in adulthood.