A Cross-Sectional Study of the Phenotypes of Obesity and Insulin Resistance in Adults with Down Syndrome

Abstract

BackgroundDespite the confluence of multiple cardiovascular risk factors, subclinical atherosclerotic damage and cardiovascular events remain extremely rare in adults with Down syndrome (DS). We aim to determine the prevalence of obesity and metabolic disorders in an adult cohort with DS and to compare our findings with adults without DS.MethodsCross-sectional study of 51 consecutively selected adults with DS living in the community and 51 healthy controls in an outpatient clinic of a tertiary care hospital in Madrid, Spain. Epidemiological data (age and gender), anthropometric data (body mass index and waist-to-height ratio), coexisting clinical conditions, and laboratory data (fasting glucose, insulin, glycated hemoglobin, creatinine, thyroid hormones, vitamins, and lipid profile) were measured and compared between the groups.ResultsAdults with DS were significantly younger and more often men with a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity than controls. Their waist-to-height ratio was higher, and they more frequently had abdominal obesity. The results of an analysis adjusted for age and gender revealed no differences in fasting insulin levels, homeostatic model assessment indexes, or lipid profile between adults with DS and controls.ConclusionAdults with DS presented a high prevalence of overweight and obesity. However, we found no differences in lipid profile, prevalence of insulin resistance, or metabolic syndrome between adults with DS and controls.

Keywords

• Down syndrome
• Hypothyroidism
• Insulin resistance
• Metabolic syndrome
• Obesity, abdominal