Demographic and clinical features at presentation (n = 66)
| Variable | Mean (SD) or number (%) |
| Age (years) | 13.9 (SD 3.9) (range, 3.2–19.6) |
| ⩾10 years | 55 (83.3%) |
| Gender (M/F) | 37/29 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 31.2 (SD 7.6) |
| Type of presentation | |
| Asymptomatic | 17 (25.8%) |
| Symptomatic | 49 (74.2%) |
| Signs and symptoms* | |
| Abdominal pain | 31 (47%) |
| Fatigue | 19 (28.8%) |
| Hepatomegaly | 18 (27.3%) |
| Splenomegaly | 3 (4.5%) |
| Acanthosis nigricans | 5 (7.6%) |
| Associated conditions† | |
| Obesity (BMI >95th percentile) | 42 (65.6%) |
| BMI >97th percentile (z-score, 2.0 or more) | 38 (57.6%) |
| Hypertriglyceridaemia | 31 (47.0%) |
| Low HDL-cholesterol | 18 (27.3%) |
| Hyperglycaemia | 17 (25.8%) |
| Hypertension | 8 (12.1%) |
| Hypercholesterolemia | 27 (40.9%) |
| High LDL-cholesterol | 15 (22.7%) |
| Features of metabolic syndrome‡ | |
| 0 | 11 (16.7%) |
| 1 or more | 55 (83.3%) |
| 2 or more | 48 (72.7%) |
| 3 or more | 19 (28.8%) |
*Some patients presented with more than one symptom or associated condition.
†Hypertriglyceridaemia was defined as a level above the 95th percentile for age and sex; low HDL-cholesterol means a level below the 5th percentile for age and sex; hypertension means a systolic or diastolic blood pressure above the 95th percentile for age, sex and height; hypercholesterolaemia means a level ⩾200 mg/dl; hyperglycaemia means a level of ⩾100 mg/dl; and high LDL-cholesterol means a level ⩾130 mg/dl.
‡The metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in patients who met three or more of the following criteria for age and sex: a BMI above the 97th percentile (z-score, 2.0 or more), a triglyceride level above the 95th percentile, an HDL-cholesterol level below the 5th percentile, systolic or diastolic blood pressure above the 95th percentile, and a fasting glucose value of at least 100 mg/dl as proposed.29 30
BMI, body mass index; F, female; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; M, male.