Age and gender variations in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among hypertensive patients in a Nigerian tertiary hospital: a comparative analysis of the WHO and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria
Keywords:
Metabolic syndrome, Diabetes, Hypertension, Obesity, CardiovascularAbstract
Background: The presence of hypertension alongside other metabolic risk factors is known to increase the risk of occurrence of major cardiovascular events such as stroke and myocardial infarction. This study was carried out to determine and compare the prevalence of the metabolic using the World Health Organisation (WHO) and The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria among patients with essential hypertension in a tertiary hospital, in North-central Nigeria.
Materials and Methods: The study recruited 340 hypertensive subjects (231 females and 109 males) consecutively. Comprehensive assessments, including medical history, physical examinations, and laboratory tests (fasting plasma glucose, fasting serum lipids, and spot urine microalbuminuria), were conducted. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed using WHO and IDF criteria. Associations between age, gender, and metabolic syndrome were analyzed using the chi-square test, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.
Results: Of the 340 participants enrolled, 32.1% were males (n=109) and 67.9% were females (n=231). The mean age was 53.61 ± 9.83 years, ranging from 30 to 70 years. Male participants were slightly older on average (54.65 ± 9.68 years) compared to females (53.17 ± 9.76 years). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 65.6% and 32.9% for IDF and WHO criteria respectively but it was significantly higher in females using both criteria (p= 0.016). Although higher rates were found among participants aged 51 to 60 years with both criteria {WHO; 50% (56) and IDF; 41.3% (92)} this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.379).
Conclusion: The IDF criteria identified more patients with metabolic syndrome compared to WHO. The prevalence was higher in females. Early screening for metabolic syndrome in persons with hypertension is advocated.
