Combination of risk factors for metabolic syndrome in the military personnel of the Brazilian Navy.
BACKGROUND
Cardiovascular diseases are the major cause of death in the population, and metabolic syndrome (MS) is a clinical condition significantly associated with the increase in morbidity and mortality.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the pattern of combination of the risk factors related to the diagnosis of MS in the military personnel of the Brazilian Navy and to identify variables associated with the presence of MS in that population.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study involving 1,383 men (18-62 years) assigned to military organizations in the city of Natal, state of Rio Grande do Norte. The criterion proposed by the International Diabetes Association was used for the diagnosis of MS. The ratio between observed and expected prevalence and the respective confidence intervals were used to identify the combinations of risk factors that exceeded that expected for the population. Logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with MS.


RESULTS
The prevalence of MS was 17.6%. Approximately one third of the military personnel studied had two or more risk factors for MS. All specific combinations of risk factors for MS that exceeded the expected prevalence had abdominal obesity as one of its components. In the adjusted analyses, age, smoking and physical activity level remained associated with MS.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings reinforce the constant presence of abdominal obesity in the phenotype of MS. In addition, our data also support the idea that age, smoking and low level of physical activity are independent variables for the occurrence of MS.
Programa de Pós-graduação em Educação Física, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
Filipe Ferreira da
FF
Costa
Vila Bayma
VB
Montenegro
Thiago Jambo Alves
TJ
Lopes
Eduardo Caldas
EC
Costa
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult