Acanthosis nigricans, visceral fat, waist-hip ratio in obese adolescents with metabolic syndrome

Background and Aim: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) was prevalent in obese adolescents due to insulin resistance (IR), while acanthosis nigricans (AN) was correlated with IR. This study was conducted to analyze the correlation between AN, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), visceral fat (VF), and the incidence of MetS in adolescents with obesity. Methods: From October to December 2023, a cross-sectional study was conducted on obese adolescents aged 15 to 18 in the city of Surabaya. Brief interviews, physical examinations such as AN, blood pressure, waist, hip, visceral fat measurements, and related laboratory examinations were carried out. Results: 72 subjects were included in this study. The prevalence of obesity was higher in girls (61.1%) than boys (38.9%). MetS was established in 48%, while AN in 44.4% of subjects. Fat distribution including waistto-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), visceral fat (VF), and total body fat was significantly higher in MetS (p=0.001) and AN (p=0.012). Subjects with non-MetS and non-AN had lower WHtR, total body fat and visceral fat than subjects non-MetS with AN (p<0.05). ROC curve for VF to determine MetS was 13, with a sensitivity of 91.3% and specificity of 33.3%. The cut-off point in obese with MetS for WHR was 0.844, with a sensitivity of 91.3% and a specificity of 33.3%. Conclusion: Increased >13 of VF and >0.844 for WHR in obese adolescents presented with AN was associated with a higher risk of developing MetS and can be proposed as a predictor for MetS in obese adolescents.