Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome defined by the International Diabetes Federation among adults in the U.S.
OBJECTIVE
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has proposed a new definition of the metabolic syndrome that emphasizes central adiposity as determined by ethnic group-specific thresholds of waist circumference. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of this syndrome using the IDF definition among U.S. adults and to compare it with the prevalence estimated using the definition of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP).


METHODS
A total of 3,601 men and women aged > or =20 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002 were included in the analyses.


RESULTS
Based on the NCEP definition, the unadjusted prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 34.5 +/- 0.9% (percent +/- SE) among all participants, 33.7 +/- 1.6% among men, and 35.4 +/- 1.2% among women. Based on the IDF definition, the unadjusted prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 39.0 +/- 1.1% among all participants, 39.9 +/- 1.7% among men, and 38.1 +/- 1.2% among women. The IDF definition led to higher estimates of prevalence in all of the demographic groups, especially among Mexican-American men. The two definitions similarly classified approximately 93% of the participants as having or not having the metabolic syndrome.


CONCLUSIONS
In the U.S., the use of the IDF definition of the metabolic syndrome leads to a higher prevalence estimate of the metabolic syndrome than the estimate based on the NCEP definition.
Ford
Earl S
ES
Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. eford@cdc.gov
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017677:Age Distribution; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012015:Reference Standards; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D002097:C-Reactive Protein