prevalence of metabolic syndrome in an iranian adult population

Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The clustering of several cardiovascular disease risk factors such as
abdominal obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and disturbances in glucose metabolism has
been termed the Metabolic Syndrome (MS). The MS has been shown to predict
cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated
that CVD is the main cause of worldwide mortality; they have also linked diabetes to an
increased risk of mortality due to CVD.
METHODS: According to the ATP III (Adult Treatment Panel) reports, individuals having
three or more of the following criteria are defined as having the MS: abdominal obesity
(waist circumference > 102 cm in men and >88 cm in woman), hypertriglyceridemia
(triglyceride ≥ 150 mg/dl), low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (HDL<40 mg/dl in
men and <50 mg/dl in women), high fasting blood sugar (FBS) (FBS≥110 mg/dl) and high
blood pressure (BP) (BP≥130/85 mmHg). The SPSS package (SPSS Chicago IL) was used
and the significance level was set at P<0.05.
RESULTS: Overall, the age-adjusted prevalence of the MS was 25.4% and 21.7% in the
urban and rural areas of Isfahan, respectively. It was the highest among 50-59-year-old rural
Isfahani women (68.9%) and the lowest among rural Araki men (5.6%).
DISCUSSION: We found approximately 21.9% of Iranian adults living in Central Iran to
have the MS. In summary, this study showed an increasing risk of the MS among middleaged
woman in urban areas owing to their physical quality of life. The results indicate that
primary prevention should not only consider biological risk factors, but also take account of
sociodemographic variables to identify individuals at high risk for diabetes and
cardiovascular disease.


Keywords • Metabolic syndrome • ATPIII • Prevalence • Iran