Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in adults in Khanh Hoa, Viet Nam

Background The metabolic syndrome (MS) is characterized by a specific clustering of risk factors, including dyslipidemia, central adiposity, systemic hypertension, insulin resistance, and dysglycemia. It is associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Accurate data on prevalence and characteristics of MS will facilitate the development of preventive strategies for CVD. Objective To estimate accurately the prevalence of MS among Vietnamese adults with the usual criteria or with the criteria modified for Asian populations. Design and methods We studied a representative, cross-sectional, population-based sample of 856 subjects (mean age 52.82±16.36) classified in three age groups from 15-34 years, 35-54 years and > 54 years of age, living in Khanh Hoa Province, Viet Nam. MS was diagnosed according to the criteria defined by the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expect Panel on Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III) ( NCEP-ATP III) and by the modified criteria for some Asian populations in which the waist circumference (WC) is considered abnormal if it is > 90 cm for males and > 80 cm for females. Results Using the NCEP-ATP III criteria, the prevalence of MS in the studied population was 10.0% (CI 95% : 8.1-12.3). It was 2.4 % in the 15-34 age group (men 4.5% and women 1.2%), 5.2% (men 6.3% , women 4.5%) in 35-54 age group and 15.8% (men 9.7% , women 21.7%) in over 54 age group, respectively. And it was more common in women than in men (11.7% vs 8.0% , P 54 age group. Prevalence of modified WC feature was 10.9% for men and 23 .6 % for women. Conclusions MS is more accurately identified among Vietnamese adults using the modified criterion of the WC for some Asian populations. Its prevalence is similar to that in the developed countries.