Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its relationship with diabetes mellitus by aging

Abstract

Introduction. It is important to make a prompt diagnosis of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in order to prevent the development of cardio-/cerebro- vascular diseases and diabetes mellitus (DM). The authors estimated the risk of development of DM by the presence/absence of MetS and age groups.Methods. A cross-sectional study of subjects undergoing intensive health examination was conducted (3149 men aged 30–69 years). Diagnosis of MetS was based on the criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel (NCEP).Results. The prevalence of DM occurring in association with MetS increased with age; it was 11.9% in subjects with MetS in their 30s, it was 19.8% in subjects with MetS in their 60s. The prevalence of DM among subjects who had one or two components of MetS also increased with age. There was a significant progressive increase of the odds ratio in subjects in their 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s who were judged as having MetS; significant increase of the odds ratio was seen in subjects in their 60s, even in those who were not judged as having MetS.Conclusions. Subjects with MetS show a high prevalence of DM, and the prevalence increased with age in the subjects.