The goal of this study was to evaluate the association between platelet count and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in children and adolescents in Korea. This study included data from 2228 subjects (1201 boys and 1027 girls) who participated in the 2010-2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES-V). We used the modified National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) criteria to define MetS. Odds ratios (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) for MetS were calculated with a multiple logistic regression analysis after adjusting for confounding factors across platelet count quartiles. The overall prevalence of MetS according to the modified NCEP-ATP III criteria was 4.9% (± 0.7%) in boys and 5.7% (± 0.9%) in girls. The prevalence of MetS significantly increased with increasing platelet quartiles in both boys and girls. In a multiple logistic regression analysis, the adjusted ORs (95% CIs) for the highest vs. the lowest quartile were 5.03 (1.30-19.48) in boys and 4.08 (1.20-13.93) in girls after adjusting for age and total cholesterol.
Conclusions: Higher platelet count was associated with increased prevalence and risk of MetS in children and adolescents.
Keywords: Adolescents; children; inflammation; metabolic syndrome; platelet count.