Is the metabolic syndrome a discrete diagnostic category or the end of a continuum? Taxometric evidence for dimensionality in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the metabolic syndrome is a discrete diagnostic category or the end of a continuum.


METHODS
The study sample consisted of 3959 individuals from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004. The taxometric methods of mean above minus mean below a cut (MAMBAC) and maximum covariance (MAXCOV) were used. The primary numerical outcome was the comparative curve fit index (CCFI).


RESULTS
For men, the CCFI from MAMBAC and MAXCOV analyses were 0.290 and 0.260, respectively. Likewise, for women, the CCFI from MAMBAC and MAXCOV analyses were 0.317 and 0.311, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that the metabolic syndrome is continuously distributed in nature, rather than a discrete diagnostic category.
Ingram
David G
DG
School of Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO 65212, United States.
D000328:Adult; D002965:Classification / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D009749:Nutrition Surveys