title: Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its components: findings from a Finnish general population sample and the Diabetes Prevention Study cohort.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in two independent Finnish study cohorts.
  
  
  METHODS
  The prevalence of the MetS by modified World Health Organization criteria was analyzed in different categories of glucose tolerance in a cross-sectional, population-based sample of 2,049 individuals (FINRISK) aged 45-64 years and in 522 participants of the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study (DPS) with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the FINRISK cohort, the MetS was present in 38.8% of the men and 22.2% of the women. The prevalence was 14.4 and 10.1% in subjects with normal glucose tolerance, 74.0 and 52.2% in subjects with impaired fasting glucose, 84.8 and 65.4% in subjects with IGT, and 91.5 and 82.7% in subjects with type 2 diabetes in men and women, respectively. Among women, the prevalence of the MetS increased with increasing age. In the DPS cohort, the MetS was present in 78.4% of the men and 72.2% of the women with IGT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The MetS was extremely common in middle-aged subjects The high prevalence in men was mostly due to their high waist-to-hip ratio. The prevalence of the MetS increased in both sexes with deterioration in glucose regulation. Approximately 75% of the subjects with IGT had the MetS. Because the syndrome includes the major risk factors for atherosclerotic vascular diseases and is the major antecedent for type 2 diabetes, concerted preventive action should be targeted to control all the features of the MetS.
authors.affiliation: The Diabetes Center, Kirjoniementie 15, FIN-33680 Tampere, Finland. pirjo.ilanneparikka@diabetes.fi
authors.forename: Pirjo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ilanne-Parikka
authors.forename: Johan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.forename: Jaana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lindström
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hämäläinen
authors.forename: Sirkka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keinänen-Kiukaanniemi
authors.forename: Mauri
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laakso
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Louheranta
authors.forename: Marjo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mannelin
authors.forename: Merja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rastas
authors.forename: Virpi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Salminen
authors.forename: Sirkka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aunola
authors.forename: Jouko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sundvall
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Valle
authors.forename: Jorma
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lahtela
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uusitupa
authors.forename: Jaakko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tuomilehto
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000453:epidemiology; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence