Endocrine Abstracts

Research objective: To estimate efficiency of metformin use in children and teenagers with metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Materials and methods: Eighty children and teenagers aged 10–16 with exogenous-constitutional obesity (ECO) were observed. From them in 19 (23.8%) MetS was diagnosed according to diagnostic criteria of IDF (2007); 15 of them (78.9% – seven boys and eight girls) were prescribed metformin (Siofor, Berlin Chemie) in dose from 1000 to 1500 mg a day on the background of life style change (hypo-calorie diet and physical activity). Middle age was 12.5±0.58 years (Me-12). Duration of treatment and observation was 6 months.

Results and their discussion: In 6 months after treatment in observed group the component of MetS – waist circumference (WC) significantly decreased from 93.7±2.82 to 85.8±2.47 sm (P=0.04). Also we observed non-significant reduction of weight from 69.8±5.01 to 66.7±4.78 kg (P=0.66), and BMI from 30.1±1.37 to 28.7±1.27 kg/m² (P=0.47).

On the background of the therapy statistically significant decrease in level of TG from 2.62±0.23 mmol/l (95%CI 2.16–3.07) to 1.83±0.20 mmol/l (95%CI 1.45–2.51) (P=0.02) was found. Along with it the tendency to significant increase of level of HDL Cholesterol (from 1.14±0.10 to 1.96±0.18 mmol/l, P=0.0001) was found.

Level of fasting glycemia (from 4.43±0.19 to 4.14±0.15 mmol/l, P=0.24) and HbAlc (from 5.56±0.20 to 5.05±0.22%, P=0.24) decreased accordingly by 6.5 and 9.2%. Hemodynamic indicators decreased non-significantly, as they initially were within normal range.

Conclusion: On the background of metformin treatment in six (31.6% – three boys and three girls) of observed diagnosis of MetS was withdrawn; there were no side-effects during metformin use revealed.