Prevalence of prediabetes and its comorbidities in the Mexican pediatric population

Carlos Adrián González Cortés, Patricia Elizabeth Cossío-Torres, Juan Manuel Vargas-Morales, Marisol Vidal-Batres, Gicela de Jesús Galván Almazán, Diana Patricia Portales Pérez, Aldanely Padrón Salas, Celia Aradillas-García

Background: prediabetes is a state observed before type-2 diabetes. Nowadays the obesity epidemic could be due to a rise in the incidence of prediabetes. Mexico has public policies for the management of non-communicable diseases. However, obesity rates continue to increase. The aim of this study was to elaborate on a diagnosis of prediabetes in the pediatric Mexican population, and compare the proportions of comorbidities that children with and without prediabetes had. Methods: a cross-sectional study was performed with 569 participants of 4 to 19 years of age from public schools. Anthropometric (weight, height, and waist circumference), clinical (blood pressure), and biochemical (fasting glucose, lipidic profile, and uric acid) variables were collected. Results: in all, 8.6 % of the population had prediabetes. Variables with the highest altered prevalence included triglycerides and systolic blood pressure. Boys had higher rates of prediabetes, altered BP, and hyperuricemia than girls. Children with prediabetes had a greater risk of elevated waist circumference, blood pressure, and uric acid measures. Conclusions: the Mexican pediatric population had elevated rates of prediabetes. Furthermore, the group with prediabetes had a higher risk of presenting high values of triglycerides, blood pressure, uric acid, and total cholesterol.