Metabolic syndrome and its correlated factors in an urban population in South West of Iran

This study was designed to assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its correlated factors in an urban population in Ahvaz.

This descriptive analytical study performed with random cluster sampling method in 6 health centers in Ahvaz. In each selected center, 55 households were randomly selected. A questionnaire included: age, sex, marital status, ethnicity, education level, family history of diabetes (DM), Hypertension (HTN) and obesity, smoking and parity and previous history of gestational diabetes Mellitus in women were filled for each person.

Blood pressure, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), abdominal and waist circumference were measured in each participant. Fasting blood glucose (FBS), serum total cholesterol, triglyceride and high density lipoprotein (HDL) level were measured in fasting blood sample.

The mean age of all participants was 42.27 ± 14 years (44.2 ± 14.26 years in men and 40.5 ± 13.5 in women). From total 912 participant, 434(47.2%) were men and 478(52.8%) women. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome based on ATPIII criteria (update2005) was 22.8% (15.9% in men and 29.1% in women) that showed significant difference (P = 0.0001). Prevalence of each component of MS in studied population was: 29.4% for abdominal obesity, 40.7% for high TG level, 40.2% for low HDL, 15.4% for hypertension and 37.8% for abnormal FBS. Among these factor, age of patients, BMI, sex had significant differences between persons with or without Ms (P = 0.0001). Ethnicity (Arab or Persian), cigarette smoking and family history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and obesity, marital statues, education level, parity and previous history of GDM in women showed no significant differences between persons with MS and without MS.

Metabolic syndrome has high prevalence in our population and its prevalence increases with increasing age and BMI. Women are at higher risk for metabolic syndrome than men.