Abstract 3554: Metabolic Syndrome in Non-Obese Population: A Growing Concern

Abstract

Context: There is general consensus that prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) increases with body mass index (BMI), but less is known in normal weight individuals. Objectives: To determine the prevalence and likelihood of MS and its components in normal weight (NW: 18.5–24.9 kg/m 2 ), overweight (OW: 25–29.9 kg/m 2 ) and obese individuals (OB: ≥30 kg/m 2 ). NW parameters were further divided in the following: 18.5–20.9; 21–22.9; 23–24.9 kg/m 2 . Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study representative of all regions of Portugal. Individuals ≥18 years visiting their general practicioner, irrespective of their reason for consulting, were asked to participate after informed consent in the national registry of MS prevalence (VALSIM). MS was defined by NCEP-ATP III criteria. Overall MS, each of its components, as well as gender and age-specific prevalences were estimated. Multivariate regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) of MS by age, gender and BMI. Results: A total of 16333 adults was analysed (mean age: 59±14 years; 61% women). The overall prevalence of MS was 29.4%. Risk of MS was higher in women and rose with age. The OR for MS in OW and OB was three and nine times, respectively. However, even non-obese population had an unexpected high prevalence of MS, particularlly in upper NW and OW Individuals. The analysis of each MS-component according to BMI showed that high blood pressure is highly prevalent in these Individuals, with relevance for those in lower NW. The occurence of fasting hyperglicemia (>110mg/dL) in NW and OW Individuals was 13.6% and 25.1%, respectively. Conclusions: Individuals in the upper normal-weight and overweight BMI range have a high prevalence of high blood pressure, fasting hyperglicemia and MS. Therefore, screening individuals with normal or slightly elevated BMI is important in the prevention of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Prevalence of MS and individual components according to BMI