Hypertensive waist: first step of the screening for metabolic syndrome.
BACKGROUND
In previous studies, we have suggested that hypertensive waist is a frequent combination in persons with metabolic syndrome. The objective of the current study was to analyze the ability of hypertensive waist to predict the presence of the metabolic syndrome.


METHODS
A total of 1294 women and men, randomly selected from general population, aged > or =18 years were included in this study. For these persons, the clinical and anthropometric data as well as fasting plasma blood glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were assessed. Hypertensive waist was defined as the presence of the systolic blood pressure > or =130 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure > or =85 mmHg or history of treated hypertension plus a waist circumference > or =80 cm for women and > or =94 for men. International Diabetes Federation criteria were used for the diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome.


RESULTS
The prevalence of hypertensive waist was 43.3% and the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 45.7%. Persons with hypertensive waist were 6.7 times more likely to have metabolic syndrome (95% confidence interval, 5.5-8.2) when compared with people without hypertensive waist. The high values of specificity (84%) and sensitivity (80.4%) showed that hypertensive waist is a very good predictor of the metabolic syndrome.


CONCLUSIONS
On the basis of the easy-to-determine clinical parameters and on high predictive value, the clinical couple of hypertensive waist could be used as a starting point to screen for metabolic syndrome in Romanian population.
Nita
Cristina
C
Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Clinical Center of Diabetes, Nutrition, and Metabolic Diseases, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. christina_nita@yahoo.com
Hancu
Nicolae
N
Rusu
Adriana
A
Bala
Cornelia
C
Roman
Gabriela
G
D000328:Adult; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055105:Waist Circumference
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D001786:Blood Glucose; D008055:Lipids