Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Possibilities of Prevention and Treatment: A Systematic Review

Overweight and obesity are an increasingly common problem, not only among the healthy population, but also in adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1DM). Excess body weight is related to many cardiometabolic complications as well as a high risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The purpose of this systematic review is to provide a concise and critical overview of the prevalence of MetS in children and adolescents with T1DM and, ultimately, to discuss prevention and treatment options. The study was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. This review shows that, apart from the growing percentage of overweight and obese children and adolescents with T1DM (on average 20.1% and 9.5%, respectively), the problem of the increasing incidence of MetS (range from 3.2 to 29.9%, depending on the criteria used) is one of the most important phenomena of our time. One of the methods of prevention and treatment is a combined approach: changing eating habits and lifestyle, but there are also reports about the beneficial effects of the gut microflora.