BNP in Pediatric Metabolic Syndrome

MetS is a syndrome characterized by a combination of diabetes, hypertension and visceral obesity, altered blood lipids, beginning in childhood, leading to chronic disease in adulthood. Adult criteria for defining MetS require a minimum of 3 risk factors, listed in the NCEP ATP III (National Cholesterol Education Program, Adult Treatment Panel III, ATP III), they are hyperglycaemia, hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL-C, hypertension, obesity and increased waist circumference. The pediatric definitions are described mainly by Cooks, Zimmet and de Ferranti are as well based on the presence of ≥ 3 symptoms: obesity (BMI) , waist circumference, glucose intolerance, dyslipidaemia (high triglycerides and/or low HDL-C), High BP. Pediatric criteria of MetS are not univocally defined and symptoms may be fluctuant in adolescent period, therefore the prevalence ranges from 4.2%13 to 9.2%. A number of researchers have used factor analysis of MetS components to develop a risk score to identify children at higher risk for developing MetS. Several MetS risk factors have origins during the prenatal and early postnatal period. In particular, it is known that preterm newborns are more prone to develop this condition once adults, but little is known about the adolescent transition, particularly, in Italy. From 2008 - 2011, thirty-four full-term and 36 premature infants were studied, evaluating echocardiographic parameters and BNP concentrations during the first month of life. In this population, now adolescents, it was decided to measure BNP, both current and previous values, in order to verify whether this parameter can be associated with MetS and meet the need to identify high-risk children. Adolescents affected by MetS were defined on the basis of the available literature: they must present ≥ 3 of the following signs: hyperglycaemia, dyslipidaemia (triglycerides and HDL-C), arterial hypertension, obesity (BMI and waist circumference). Other blood parameters were also evaluated as asso