TABLE 1.

Various diagnostic criteria for the metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents

Criterion	Adult, NCEP ATP III (7), 3 of 5 criteria	Cook et al (8), NHANES III, 3 of 5 criteria	Chen et al (10), Bogalusa Heart Study, 4 criteria, 75th percentile for age and sex	Cruz et al (12), overweight Hispanic youth, 3 of 5 criteria	Raitakari et al (11), cardiovascular risk in young Finns, 3 criteria, ≥75th percentile for age and sex	Weiss et al (9), obesity and metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents, 3 of 5 criteria
High triglycerides	≥1.69 mmol/L	≥1.24 mmol/L	Triglyceride to HDL ratio	≥90th percentile	≥75th percentile	≥95th percentile
Low HDL cholesterol			Triglyceride to HDL ratio	≤10th percentile	≤25th percentile	≤5th percentile
Male	<1.03 mmol/L	<1.03 mmol/L
Female	<1.29 mmol/L	<1.03 mmol/L
Abdominal obesity, waist circumference*			BMI ≥75th percentile		N/A	BMI > +2 SDs
Male	>102 cm	≥90th percentile		≥90th percentile
Female	>88 cm	≥90th percentile		≥90th percentile
High fasting glucose†	≥6.1 mmol/L	≥6.1 mmol/L	Insulin resistance index	Impaired glucose tolerance, 2 h BG ≥7.8 mmol/L	N/A	Impaired glucose tolerance, 2 h BG >7.8 mmol/L
High blood pressure	≥130/85 mmHg	≥90th percentile	Mean arterial pressure	≥90th percentile	≥75th percentile	≥95th percentile

Accepted adult criteria are indicated by bold font. In some studies, *body mass index (BMI) percentiles were used as a surrogate for waist circumference and ^†impared glucose tolerance was used interchangeably with impaired fasting glucose. BG Blood glucose; HDL High density lipoprotein; N/A Not available; NCEP ATP III National Cholesterol Education Program’s Adult Treatment Panel III; NHANES III Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey