title: Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its correlation with the cardiovascular health status in stroke- and ischemic heart disease-free Ecuadorian natives/mestizos aged ≥40 years living in Atahualpa: a population-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epidemiologic studies assessing cardiovascular risk factors affecting a given population may prove cost-effective to reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases in the developing world. We evaluated the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in Atahualpa, a village representative of rural coastal Ecuador.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its correlation with the cardiovascular (CVH) status was assessed in a door-to-door survey performed in stroke- and ischemic heart disease-free Ecuadorian native/mestizos aged ≥40 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in 288 (55.7%) out of 517 persons. Worst individual components were: increased waist circumference (75%), increased fasting glucose (68.1%) and high blood pressure (56.5%). Prevalence of individual components of this condition varied according to age, gender, education, and alcohol intake. However, no differences were found in the odds for having the metabolic syndrome when persons were stratified according to these parameters. A poor CVH status was found in 80.2% persons with and in 55.9% without the metabolic syndrome (p<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in Atahualpa is high. Most persons with the metabolic syndrome also have a poor CVH status. However, sizable subsets only have either the metabolic syndrome or a poor CVH status. Stratification of cardiovascular risk according to whether the person has both, one, or none of these two sets of risk factors would be of value to evaluate if the metabolic syndrome, a poor CVH status or the combination of both, better predict the occurrence of vascular outcomes in the long-term follow-up.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Universidad Espíritu Santo - Ecuador, Guayaquil, Ecuador; Department of Neurological Sciences, Hospital-Clínica Kennedy, Guayaquil, Ecuador. Electronic address: oscardelbrutto@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Oscar H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Del Brutto
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zambrano
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Peñaherrera
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montalván
authors.forename: Freddy
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pow-Chon-Long
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tettamanti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004484:Ecuador / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D007199:Indians, South American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose
keywords: Atahualpa; Cardiovascular health status; Cardiovascular risk; Ecuador; Epidemiology; Metabolic syndrome