Factor analysis of clustered cardiovascular risks in adolescence: obesity is the predominant correlate of risk among youth

Abstract

Background: Clustering of cardiovascular (CV) risks begins in childhood, yet studies of the factor structure underlying this clustering have focused on adults. The increasing rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes and the growing importance of metabolic syndrome among adolescents make assessment of CV risk clustering even more urgent in this age group.

Methods and results: Exploratory factor analysis (principal components analysis) was performed with data from 1578 healthy seventh to 12th graders from the Princeton School District Study, a school-based study in Cincinnati, Ohio. Measured CV risks included cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting insulin and glucose, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, fibrinogen, and blood pressure. Factor analysis yielded 4 uncorrelated factors (adiposity [BMI, waist, fibrinogen, insulin], cholesterol [LDL and total cholesterol], carbohydrate-metabolic [glucose, insulin, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides], and blood pressure [systolic and diastolic blood pressure]). These factors explained approximately 67% of the total variance. A summary cumulative risk scale was derived from factor scores, and high risk was defined as scoring in the top 5%. Although insulin loaded onto both the adiposity and carbohydrate-metabolic factors, obesity was a much stronger correlate of high cumulative risk (odds ratio=19.2; 95% CI, 7.6 to 48.5) than hyperinsulinemia (odds ratio=3.5; 95% CI, 1.8 to 6.8). A sizable proportion (18.5%; n=12) of those who were at high cumulative risk were not at high risk for any of the individual factors.

Conclusions: The patterning of CV risk clustering seen among adults is present in healthy adolescents. Among youth, obesity is the predominant correlate of cumulative risk.