Abstract
Childhood obesity predicts the risk of adult adiposity, which is associated with the earlier onset of cardiovascular disease [adult atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, ACVD: hypertension, increased carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) stroke, ischemic heart disease (IHD)] and dysglycemia. Because it is not known whether childhood obesity contributes to these diseases, we conducted a systematic review of studies that examine the ability of measures of obesity in childhood to predict dysglycemia and ACVD. Data sources were: Web of Science, MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, SCOPUS, ProQuest, and reference lists. Studies measuring BMI, SF, and WC were selected; of 1954 studies, 18 met study criteria. Results: Childhood BMI predicted CIMT: OR, 3.39 (95% CI, 2.02 to 5.67, P <0.001) and risk of impaired glucose tolerance in adulthood, but its ability to predict ACVD events (stroke, IHD; OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.07; P<0.001) and hypertension (OR, 1.17, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.27, P = 0.003), was weak-moderate. BMI was not predictive of systolic BP (r -0.57, P =0.08) and weakly predicted diastolic BP (r 0.21, P =0.002). SF in childhood weakly predicted CIMT in female adults only (r58 s0.09, P <0.05). Conclusion: Childhood BMI predicts the risk of dysglycemia and abnormal CIMT in adulthood but its ability to predict hypertension and ACVD events was weak and moderate respectively. SF was a weak predictor of CIMT in female adults.