title: The metabolic syndrome and associated lifestyle factors among the Iranian population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aims to evaluate the impact of the Isfahan Healthy Heart Program (IHHP) interventions concerning healthy behavior, on the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in the Iranian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  The IHHP targeted the population at large in three districts in central Iran from 2000 to 2007. Numerous interventional activities were performed to improve lifestyle. The main intervention strategies were public education through mass media, intersectional cooperation, health professional education, marketing and organizational development, legislation and policy development, as well as research and evaluation. MetS was defined based on the Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III definition. The logistic regression method was applied to explore the relationship between lifestyle factors with components of metabolic risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the participants was 44.68 ± 14.43 years in 2001. The mean values of the MetS components differed from 2001 to 2007. The mean of systolic blood pressure (SBP) decreased from 126.7 ± 22.31 to 124.21 ± 20.0 and from 129.47 ± 23.08 to 126.26 ± 21.88 among females in both the intervention and reference areas. Similar changes were observed among males. The mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and triglycerides decreased significantly in the intervention area and increased significantly in the reference area in both sexes. High density protein cholesterol (HDL-C) was decreased in both sexes, from 2001 to 2007, in both areas. A strong relationship between tobacco control with high SBP and hypertriglyceridemia was found (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lifestyle improvement programs could be useful to improve the MetS status among men and women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Metabolic Syndrome, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mojgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gharipour
authors.affiliation: Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Nizal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sarrafzadegan
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Rehabilitation Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoumeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sadeghi
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khosravi
authors.affiliation: Intervenetional Cardiology Research Center, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoseini
authors.affiliation: Hypertension Research Center, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khosravi-Boroujeni
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.
authors.forename: Arsalan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khaledifar
keywords: Iranian adults; lifestyle modification; metabolic syndrome