Metabolic syndrome, the combination of disorders that increases the
risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, is known to be associated
with brain changes and cognitive deficiencies in adults. Now a new
study, published online in Pediatrics, has found a similar effect in
teenagers with the disorder.
Researchers compared 49 nondiabetic teenagers who had metabolic syndrome — high blood levels of glucose, low levels of high-density lipoprotein, high triglycerides, abdominal obesity and high blood pressure — with 64 young people who had fewer than three of those symptoms. Participants were given magnetic resonance brain scans and standard tests of memory, learning, attention and psychomotor ability.
The researchers found that the teenagers with metabolic syndrome had lower scores on tests of mental ability and significantly lower academic performance in reading and arithmetic. The scientists were surprised to discover that the MRI scans showed brain changes in children with metabolic syndrome, .
“The important thing here is the degree of insulin resistance — how much more insulin you need to keep your glucose normal,” said the senior author, Dr. Antonio Convit, a professor of psychiatry and medicine at New York University. “You can improve your kid’s brain health by having the kid eat better and exercise more.”
Researchers compared 49 nondiabetic teenagers who had metabolic syndrome — high blood levels of glucose, low levels of high-density lipoprotein, high triglycerides, abdominal obesity and high blood pressure — with 64 young people who had fewer than three of those symptoms. Participants were given magnetic resonance brain scans and standard tests of memory, learning, attention and psychomotor ability.
The researchers found that the teenagers with metabolic syndrome had lower scores on tests of mental ability and significantly lower academic performance in reading and arithmetic. The scientists were surprised to discover that the MRI scans showed brain changes in children with metabolic syndrome, .
“The important thing here is the degree of insulin resistance — how much more insulin you need to keep your glucose normal,” said the senior author, Dr. Antonio Convit, a professor of psychiatry and medicine at New York University. “You can improve your kid’s brain health by having the kid eat better and exercise more.”
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