title: Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and related metabolic traits in an island population of the Adriatic.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Metabolic syndrome, a constellation of risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes, has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. Epidemiological studies in transitional societies will provide insight into the underlying factors that interact in its manifestation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome, provide a comparative analysis of two metabolic syndrome definitions and assess clustering and association of metabolic traits and cardiovascular diseases in an Adriatic island population.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional study, data on four anthropometric, blood pressure and 11 biochemical traits were obtained from 1430 adults from the island of Hvar.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 25% and 38.5% based on Adult Treatment Panel III and International Diabetes Federation definitions, respectively. Rates of abdominal obesity, elevated blood glucose and hypertension were high. Among the traits not included in the definitions, levels of LDL, total cholesterol and fibrinogen were markedly elevated. The majority of the phenotypes were significantly associated with the syndrome, the strongest being waist circumference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Croatian islanders are characterized by a high prevalence of metabolic abnormalities. Central obesity is the strongest contributor of the syndrome. With a high prevalence of dyslipidemia and pro-inflammatory factors, the population is at substantial risk for cardiovascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Center for Genome Information, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0056, USA. ranjan.deka@uc.edu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Deka
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Durakovic
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Karns
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Smolej-Narancic
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Missoni
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Caric
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Caric
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rudan
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Salzer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rudan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010641:Phenotype; D015995:Prevalence; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable; D055815:Young Adult