Incidence and risk factors for metabolic syndrome in Korean male workers, ages 30 to 39.
OBJECTIVE
There are few prospective data on the incidence of metabolic syndrome. The goals of this study were to define the incidence of and specific risk factors for metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Korean male workers 30 to 39 years of age.


METHODS
A prospective cohort study was undertaken involving 4,779 male workers, 30 to 39 years of age, who did not take medication for dyslipidemia or have a history of any malignancy at study entry. Subjects were reexamined annually at a university hospital in Seoul, Korea, over a 3-year period between 2002 to August 2005. A modified National Cholesterol Education Program definition of MetS with body mass index was used instead of waist circumference. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate adjusted hazard ratios in separate models for MetS.


RESULTS
At the end of the 3-year follow-up period, MetS developed in 708 individuals. The unadjusted incidence density of MetS was 70.5 (95% CI, 65.3 approximately 75.37), and the age-adjusted incidence density of MetS was 76.9 per 1,000 person-years (95% CI, 67.8 approximately 86.1). Among a variety of candidate risk factors, uric acid, weight change, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, and alanine aminotransferase were independent risk predictors for MetS.


CONCLUSIONS
The high-incidence density of this MetS in Korea may be an indicator of future increases in diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Ryu
Seungho
S
Department of Occupational Medicine, Health Screening Center, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University, School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. sh703.yoo@samsung.com
Song
Jaechul
J
Choi
Bo-Youl
BY
Lee
Soo-Jin
SJ
Kim
Won Sool
WS
Chang
Yoosoo
Y
Kim
Dong-Il
DI
Suh
Byung-Seong
BS
Sung
Ki Chul
KC
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors