Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and Associated Risk Factors in Medical Students of Universidad Central Del Ecuador

Abstract

T he objective of our study was to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and associated predisposition factors among students of the first three semesters from the school of Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences of the "Universidad Central Del Ecuador". The students weight, height, blood pressure, waist circumference were measure and BMI were calculated. Furthermore, total cholesterol levels in serum, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose. 883 medical students were studied, with a mean age of 19.3 ± 1.4 where 67% were female. The prevalence of MS was 8.2% (n= 73), 68% were women and 32% men. 29.3% of men presented pre obesity or obesity compared with 23.3% of women (p> 0.05). It was found that waist circumference was preferentially altered in women compared to men (52.3% vs 26.2%) (p <0.05). 39.7% of women had HDL levels below the normal values versus 18.2% in males (p <0.05). The values of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and glucose were within normal parameters. The blood pressure levels were above the normal range in men more than in women (24.4% vs 9.8%) (p <0.05). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 8.2% and only 34% of the population presented no risk factors for MS. 1 out of 4 students presented some degree of overweight or obesity. A directly proportional relationship between the presence of risk factors and increased blood pressure was evident. Given the large number of individuals who have at least one risk factor, it is crucial to promote a healthy lifestyle that includes non-pharmacological interventions such as diet and exercise.