Body composition in prepubertal children with idiopathic premature adrenarche: implications for cardiometabolic health

Prepubertal children with premature adrenarche have a low muscle-to-fat ratio compared to healthy sex- and age- matched controls. The body composition of prepubertal children with premature adrenarche is associated with their systolic blood pressure percentile and atherogenic dyslipidemia index. Children with premature adrenarche and healthy weight exhibited higher adiposity compared to healthy weight controls, and those with overweight/obesity showed higher rates of elevated blood pressure and higher dyslipidemic atherogenic indices compared to overweight/obesity controls. These findings highlight the importance of early identification, intervention, and lifestyle changes for children with premature adrenarche to help prevent cardiometabolic complications.