Abstract
Background Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa. We systematically reviewed the literature towards estimating the prevalence of MetS among apparently “healthy” Ghanaian adults. Methods We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Africa Journals Online, African Index Medicus, and Google scholar as well as the websites of the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health service through September 2016. Only studies conducted among apparently “healthy” (no established disease, e.g., diabetes and hypertension) adults aged ≥ 18 years were considered. Only studies that utilised the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP-ATP), World Health Organization (WHO), or International Diabetes Federation (IDF) classifications for MetS were included. Results Data from nine studies involving 1,559 individuals were pooled. The prevalence of MetS based on NCEP-ATP, WHO, and IDF classifications was 12.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.3–17.4%), 6.0% (95% CI = 1.4–13.1%), and 21.2% (95% CI = 12.4–30.9), respectively. Prevalence of MetS was higher among women than men. Conclusion Among a population of adult Ghanaians deemed “healthy,” there is a high prevalence of MetS. Preventive measures are required to address the risk components of MetS such as obesity and hypertension which are rapidly rising in Ghana.
Highlights
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa
Searches for studies reporting prevalence of MetS among Ghanaians were conducted by RO in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Africa Journals Online (AJOL), African Index Medicus, and Google scholar databases for entries up to 25th September 2016
Out of 197 citations retrieved from the database searches, 18 were subjected to full text analysis following removal of duplicates and exclusion of studies based on titles and abstracts
Summary
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa. We systematically reviewed the literature towards estimating the prevalence of MetS among apparently “healthy” Ghanaian adults. While the increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) consequent to MetS is widely recognised, the definition and contributions of the underlying components of MetS have been subject of debate [5] This has sometimes been a source of confusion for clinicians regarding how MetS should be diagnosed; estimating the true prevalence of MetS in any setting is a challenge [5, 6].
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