Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a complex condition that appears as a cluster of metabolic abnormalities, including central obesity, glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia of high triglyceride, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and elevated blood pressure. It increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, fatty liver disease, cancer, and stroke.
Given the enormity of potential health implications of MS, early screening is important, but most of the work done on MS has been on diagnosis, and prevalence but none on screening.
Recently Okeke, Nduka Jude, from Ebonyi State University, Nigeria along with his team studied the pattern of clustering of these factors in diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and healthy individuals. More than 530 subjects participated in the study, ranging from 37 to 72 years of age. The findings are published in the Pakistan Journal of Nutrition.
After an extensive evaluation of multiple parameters including fasting glucose, lipid profile, waist circumference, and blood pressure. the team concluded that all individuals with excess waist circumference have a high risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Since waist circumference can easily be measured, therefore, it is an easier and more accurate method of screening for MS in the general population even in resource-limited settings.
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