Cardiometabolic profiles in children and adults with overweight and obesity and down syndrome

Being obese is associated with an increased cardiometabolic risk in the general population. While individuals with Down syndrome are at increased risk for being overweight and obese, the associated cardiometabolic risk in this population is not clear. This new study helps clarify this risk. Dr. Skotko and his colleagues performed a cross-sectional anthropometric and clinical laboratory data were collected on 240 patients between the ages of 3 and 63 years across 7 international sites. Distributive percentiles were calculated for common cardiometabolic biomarkers, with adjusted models testing for adiposity as a predictor of cardiometabolic risk. Most cardiometabolic biomarker profiles showed distributive values within normal ranges in both children and adults. The data suggest that in contrast to the general population, in individuals with Down syndrome, being overweight and obese does not appear to confer a significantly increased risk for cardiometabolic disease by biomarker profile. Individuals with DS who are overweight/obese appear to have unique cardiometabolic profiles unrelated to adiposity, notable for increased hs-CRP and normal HA1c levels.

June 21, 2023

Publication

CGM Primary Investigator