%0 Journal Article
%T Distribution and association of hs-CRP with cardiovascular risk variables of metabolic syndrome in adolescent learners
%A Megan A. Rensburg
%A Tandi Matsha
%A Mariza Hoffmann
%A Mogamat S. Hassan
%J African Journal of Laboratory Medicine
%D 2011
%I AOSIS OpenJournals
%R 10.4102/ajlm.v1i1.10
%X Objective: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its associated cardiovascular risk are on the increase in children. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) has emerged as a useful marker for inflammation associated with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Our aim was to determine the distribution of hs-CRP in an effort to identify the MetS variable that is critical in modulating plasma CRP levels in a population of South African adolescents. Design: A cross-sectional analytical study design was used for this investigation, where the dependent and independent variables were measured simultaneously. Methods: Anthropometric variables, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and lipids were performed on 324 consenting learners aged 15¨C18 years from three different ethnic groups (Black, White and Coloured). The National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) for ages 15¨C18 year olds was used to define MetS. Results: The prevalence of MetS and obesity was 3.7% and 7.1%, respectively. The hs-CRP levels were significantly higher in subjects with a waist-circumference greater than the 90th percentile (p < 0.01) and in obese learners with MetS, but was lower in adolescents with normal weight and MetS. Median hs-CRP levels increased with an increasing number of metabolic abnormalities and exceeded 3 mg/L in 19% of adolescents. Gender and ethnic differences were observed. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that obesity and waist circumference appear to be major mediators of hs-CRP levels in South African adolescents.
%K adolescents
%K childhood obesity
%K high-sensitivity C-reactive protein
%K metabolic syndrome
%K South Africa
%U http://www.ajlmonline.org/index.php/ajlm/article/view/10