title: Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its components among obese men and women in Italy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assessment of the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in Italian obese individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional estimate of MetS prevalence using the IDF definition in 635 obese (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m(2)) individuals (286 men, 349 women) aged 19-78 years hospitalised for mass excess treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MetS prevalence was significantly (p < 0.001) higher in males (75.9%) than in females (61.9%), due to the increased prevalence of 4/5 involved abnormalities. A multivariate binary logistic regression analysis disclosed a contributory independent effect of ageing (p < 0.01-0.001), but not of BMI, whereas large waist circumference (p < 0.01) and high waist-to-hip ratio (p < 0.01) contributed to MetS prevalence only in women. Affected individuals were significantly older (males p = 0.022; females p < 0.001), affected men being younger than affected women (p < 0.01). The prevailing clinical picture included all abnormalities (21.2% in men, 22.2% in women); in minimal trait MetS (3/5 abnormalities), the prevailing combination was, beside central obesity, hypertension-hyperglycaemia in men (12.4%), and hypertension-dyslipidemia in women (19.4%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MetS is a highly prevalent condition among Italian obese individuals. Prevalence and combinations of involved abnormalities differ considerably between genders and suggest a different pathophysiology of the MetS in men and women, with possible relevance for prevention and treatment of the condition.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Cervi 93, Segrate, Italy. claudio.lafortuna@ibfm.cnr.it
authors.forename: Claudio L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lafortuna
authors.forename: Fiorenza
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Agosti
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Col
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pera
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Adorni
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sartorio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism*; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio; D055815:Young Adult