Metabolic Syndrome in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Isfahan, Iran: Prevalence and Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: Our goal was to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using routinely collected data from a clinical information system at Isfahan Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Centre, Iran. METHODS: Consecutive diabetic patients (9889 total, 4164 male and 5725 female) from Isfahan Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Centre outpatient clinics, Iran, have been examined. The mean (SD) age of participants was 52.0 (10.9) years with a mean (standard deviation) duration of diabetes of 6.4 (6.4) years at initial registration. A modified National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III definition with body mass index instead of waist circumference was used for the MetSyn. RESULTS: The prevalence of MetSyn was 65.0% [95% confidence interval (CI) 64.0, 65.9], with higher rate in females than males (71.7 [95% CI: 70.5, 72.8] female and 55.8 [95% CI: 54.3, 57.3] male) and it was greater with older age. The age-adjusted prevalence rate of MetSyn was associated with female gender, duration of diabetes, fasting blood glucose, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), smoking, proteinuria, insulin-treatment, triglyceride, cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Using a stepwise binary logistic regression model, age, gender, fasting blood glucose, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, BMI, triglyceride, and cholesterol were significant predictors of MetSyn for T2DM patients. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest MetSyn in this population of Iranian type 2 diabetic patients is common, and with an estimated prevalence of 65%, MetSyn clearly poses a formidable health threat to Iranian diabetic patients. Lifestyle interventions in T2DM subjects are needed in Iran to halt the burden of macro- and micro-vascular complications in T2DM.