Parental determinants of metabolic syndrome among Adolescent Asian Indians: A cross-sectional analysis of parent-offspring trios.

BACKGROUND
The study aimed to investigate the relationship between parental metabolic syndrome and its components on off-springs metabolic syndrome and associated abnormalities during early adolescence.

METHODS
The cross-sectional study included 304 adolescents who were in the age group of 12-16 years, including 236 children with at least one parent and 124 father-mother-child trios recruited from four schools representing different socio-economic strata from Vellore, India. Measurements included anthropometry, blood pressure, blood glucose and lipids. MS was defined based on the International Diabetes Federation guidelines (2009).

RESULTS
The prevalence of MS in adolescent offsprings, fathers and mothers were 3.3%, 52.5% and 48.7% respectively. The most commonly observed metabolic abnormality among adolescents was a low HDL level. Maternal waist circumference (WC) correlated strongly with adolescent body mass index (p=0.007), WC (p<0.001), serum triglycerides (p=0.02), systolic (p=0.005) and diastolic blood pressure (p=0.01). The maternal MS status was significantly associated with the off-springs' risk for central obesity, reflected by a higher WC [OR 2.02; (95%CI, 1.21-3.17)]. Both parents with MS had a significant influence on the child's WC [OR 1.21; (95%CI, 1.72-2.07)]. Parental MS was associated with an increased risk of MS during adolescence [OR 6.19; (95%CI, 1.64-23.26)].

CONCLUSIONS
This study highlights the possible heritable parental components that may contribute to the MS phenotype in offsprings. MS in adolescent offsprings relate to parental MS status and maternal traits reflect offspring adiposity and metabolic traits more strongly than paternal factors. Adolescent children of parents with MS therefore should be targets for primordial prevention of cardio-metabolic disease.