[Skin tags and Acanthosis nigricans: association with insulin resistance and overweight in Mexican children].

BACKGROUND

Childhood overweight and obesity are a notorious health problem around the world that may lead to an increase in insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Acanthosis nigricans (AC) and skin tags (ST) are skin markers that can help to obtain an early diagnose of these metabolic disorders.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether such skinmarkers (ST and AN), correlate with insulin resistance based on the assessment of the homeostasis model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and also with overweight and obesity.

METHODS

Weight, height and body mass index were obtained and accordingly to CDC based on percentiles, and classification was made as follows: underweight, healthy weight, overweight and obesity. Beside insulin, glucose, and HOMA-IR were assessed.

RESULTS

We included 186 patients age range 6-14 yr, 89 female, 97 male, 10 with underweight, 148 healthy weight, 18 overweight, 10 obese; 18 children presented ST and 29 AN. We found a relationship between the presence of ST and AN with higher BMI and insulin resistance.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of skin tags and Acanthosis nigricans correlates with the presence of insulin resistance in children even in healthy weight patients and higher BMI.