Distribution of Fasting Plasma Insulin, Free Fatty Acids, And Glucose Concentrations and of Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance in a Representative Sample of Quebec Children and Adolescents (Pediatric Clinical Chemistry‪)‬

The insulin resistance syndrome (IRS), [6] also known as the metabolic syndrome, is characterized by the clustering of some or all of the following anomalies: hyperinsulinemia, impaired glucose metabolism, dyslipidemia, abnormalities in fibrinolysis and coagulation, overweight, and hypertension (1). Numerous large prospective studies have shown that individuals with IRS are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (1-3). It is therefore important to identify these individuals and to offer them proper preventive intervention (3). Recently, there has been increased recognition of the need for prevention of cardiovascular disease risk factors in children and adolescents. Indeed, atherosclerosis begins early in life, and behaviors associated with increased risk of atherosclerotic disorders are often well established by the end of adolescence (4). Moreover, the noticeable increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity over the last two decades (5, 6), with the concomitant increase in the incidence of type 2 diabetes diagnosed during adolescence (7), underscores the need for substantial preventive efforts targeted toward childhood IRS and obesity.