Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in diabetic patients

Abstract

History: the different definitions of the Metabolic Syndrome of the past ten years, have led to confusions. In October 2005, the American Heart Association (AHA) made some modifications to optimize the use of the National Cholesterol Education program"(TM)s Adult Treatment Panel III Report (ATPIII) criteria in the daily clinical practice.

Objective: determine the prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome as defined by the ATPIII compared to the AHA2005 definition in the patients of a third level care institution, diabetes clinic.

Material and methods: a cross sectional study. 249 clinical histories between January 2004 and september 2005 were reviewed. The population under study was described and the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, according to the ATPII and AHA criteria was estimated.

Results: the prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome according to the ATPIII criteria, was 72, 69% (men 63, 83%, women 78, 06%), whilst using the AHA criteria it was 96, 77% (men 95, 74%, women 96, 77%). 100% of obese and diabetic patients have metabolic syndrome according to the AHA criteria.

Conclusions: the population studied presents a high prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome taking into account the ATPIII and AHA criteria. Not all diabetic patients have that conditions, however, all diabetic and obese patients show this syndrome. Both criteria are clinically easy to apply but the AAHA criteria identify a higher proportion of patients with this pathology.