Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in a Turkish adult population.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome using Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) criteria in Adana, a southern province of Turkey. Methods: The randomly selected study population included 1637 adults who were 20-79 yr of age. The presence of ≥3 of components like hypertension (defined as blood pressure ≥130/≥85 mmHg on two separate examinations, or usage of antihypertensive agents), visceral obesity (waist circumference >88 cm in females and >102 cm in men), low HDL cholesterol level ( 0.05), but were markedly higher among women in rural than urban areas (44.5 vs 31.2%; p<0.0001). Conclusions: Developing countries like Turkey also need to start action to prevent and treat the components of the metabolic syndrome. Prevention of the modifiable risk factors, such as obesity and physical inactivity, and blood pressure control should be the key strategy for avoiding mortality and financial costs of the healthcare system, especially in view of limited resources.