The utility of different definitions of metabolic syndrome in Andean population

Abstract

The definition and diagnostic criteria of Metabolic Syndrome (MS) has lead in the last weeks to intensive controversy[1,2]. The inclusion of the waist circumference (WC) as an obligatory criteria, proposed by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), and the application of different cut-off points of WC by ethnics or countries are key elements of discussion because they could label millions of people with a presumed disease that may be does not exist [3,4]. This controversy is especially important to undeveloped countries where exist an epidemic of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and resources for prevention are limited.