Predictors of cardiometabolic risk among adults with cerebral palsy.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the independent association between various anthropometric indicators and standard clinical markers of cardiometabolic health risk among adults with cerebral palsy (CP).

DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.

SETTING: Clinical center for CP treatment and rehabilitation.

PARTICIPANTS: Adults with CP (N=43) with a mean age ± SD of 37.3±13.2 years, and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels of I-V.

INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Adults with CP were assessed for body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WtHR), and serum lipid profiles. Data were analyzed with multiple regression analysis and general linear models, and are reported as means ± SDs.

RESULTS: Mean BMI was 29.1±7.8kg/m(2). BMI was not associated with any measures of cardiometabolic risk. Using GMFCS categories (2 groups: GMFCS levels I-III and IV-V), BMI was significantly lower among GMFCS levels IV-V (24.2±6.2kg/m(2)) versus GMFCS levels I-III (30.1±7.6kg/m(2)). WC and WtHR were not correlated with any cardiometabolic outcomes. Conversely, measures of WHR were independently associated with various indices of risk, including total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratio (r=.45; P<.05), HDL cholesterol (r=-.51; P<.01), and triglycerides (r=.40; P<.05), suggesting that greater WHR was indicative of elevated risk.

CONCLUSIONS: It is likely that WHR represents a stronger predictor of risk, because this measure was robustly and independently associated with 3 primary clinical markers of cardiometabolic health in adults with CP.