[Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Spanish population aged 60 years-old or more. PREV-ICTUS, a population-based study].
OBJECTIVE
Information about the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MS) in elderly population is scarce. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of MS in Spanish population=60 years-old and the associated factors.


METHODS
Epidemiological population-based cross-sectional study carried out on a randomized representative simple of subjects aged=60 years-old across the Spanish territory, stratified according to autonomous communities, census and population setting. Demographic, clinical, biochemical and electrocardiographic data were collected. MS was defined following the National Education Cholesterol Program (NCEP) criteria.


RESULTS
7331 subjects -53.4% women; mean age (standard deviation): 71.6 (6.9) years- were included. The prevalence of MS was 39.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 34.5-42.4) and was greater in women (45.2%; 95% CI, 43.7-46.8%) than in men (33.8%; 95% CI, 32.3-35.4%) (p<0.001), and lower in the urban setting. High blood pressure (HBP) was the most prevalent criterion, followed by abdominal obesity and hypertriglyceridemia. Subjects with MS were younger, with higher body mass index and blood pressure, and had more prevalence of organ damage and cardovascular disease (p<0,001). In the multivariate analysis, female gender, HBP, diabetes and abdominal obesity were the most strongly related factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Four out of 10 subjects aged 60 years-old or more had MS, and this was related mainly to female gender, HBP, obesity and diabetes.
Llisterri
José Luis
JL
Centro de Salud Joaquín Benlloch, Valencia, España. jllisterric@medynet.com
Cea-Calvo
Luis
L
Martí-Canales
Juan C
JC
Lozano
José V
JV
Aznar
José
J
Redón
Josep
J
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology