Affiliations: Department of Basic Sciences, College of Medicine,
King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia | Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, College of
Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia | Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and
Scientific Computing, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center,
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Note: [] Correspondence: Waleed Tamimi, College of Medicine, King Saud
bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Box 22490, Riyadh 11426, Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia. Tel.: +966 505213301; Fax: +966 12520130; E-mail:
[email protected]
Abstract: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus among adults has increased in
developed and developing countries. However, less attention has been focused on
children, including establishing age- and gender-specific reference intervals
for serum glucose levels. In this study, we sought to establish these interval
values among Saudi children. In 2006, male and female school children from
diverse socioeconomic levels in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia were selected for a
cross-sectional study of blood glucose using a cluster sample design. Tanner
stages were ascertained during physical examination. Blood samples from 1216
healthy school children aged 6 to 16 years – 514 (42%) boys and 702 (58%)
girls – were analyzed for glucose using an Advia 1650 chemistry analyzer
and a hexokinase assay. Reference intervals based on Tanner stages and age were
established by calculating the mean and the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles. The
average blood glucose level was higher in boys than in girls. There were no
significant differences between boys and girls at each Tanner stage. Therefore,
the combined reference intervals for glucose levels, which were calculated to
be (3.2–6.6), (3.4–6.6), (3.6–5.9), (3.6–6.9), and
(3.2–6.4) for Tanner stages I, II, III, IV, and V respectively, can be
used for both genders. However, significant differences were observed between
boys and girls for BMI, height, and weight at all Tanner stages except stage
IV. Unlike children in other developing countries, Saudi children do not have
lower serum glucose levels than their Western counterparts. We believe that
these findings reflect changing dietary habits and increasing affluence in
Saudi Arabia. The reference intervals established in our study may aid in the
early assessment of cardiovascular risk in Saudi pediatric populations.
