Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome among Hospital Staff of Khalili Hospital, Shiraz, Iran

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is considered to be a cluster of metabolic risk factors. The purpose of the current study was to determine the prevalence of MetS using 4 different definitions, including the modified Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP-III) for Asians, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), and Harmonized criteria, its 5 interrelated components, and their association with socio-demographic and anthropometric factors among Khalili Hospital’s personnel, Shiraz, Iran.

Eighty six females and 73 males from Khalili Hospital staff with the mean age of 37.5±8.5 years and 39.2±8.2 years, respectively were recruited and completed the course of the study. Socio-demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical parameters were collected. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19.

The prevalence of MetS in the study population was 27.7%,7.5%, 24.5%, and 27.7% based on modified ATP III for Asians, AACE, IDF, and Harmonized definitions, respectively. The mean value of body mass index (BMI) and waist to hip ratio (W/H) was 25.3±4.0 kg/m2 and 0.9±0.1, respectively. The prevalence of MetS was only significantly higher in males than in females according to IDF criteria (30.1% vs. 19.8%; p=0.027). Neither educational status nor familial history of chronic diseases had a significant association with the prevalence of MetS (p>0.05).

Applying definitions with ethnicity-specific abdominal obesity cut-points seems to be better for diagnosis of the syndrome.