The metabolic syndrome: Prevalence, associated risk factors and health complications in obese subjects in Northern Morocco

Abstract

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major public-health problem; it is associated with increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of MetS and associated risk factors as well as its complications in an obese population of north of Morocco. This is a cross-sectional study that was undertaken on a population of 485 obese subjects, 339 women and 146 men. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on demography, lifestyle, medical history and biological parameters. The mean age of our patients was of 49 ± 11 years, the average of body mass index was of 34.2 ± 7 kg/m2, and the waist circumference average was of 106.9 ± 15 cm for the women and 104.5 ± 12 cm for the men. Obesity was of class I in 38% of the subjects, class II in 25%, class III in 13%, and 24% of the subjects had an overweight. The prevalence of MetS was 52.4%, higher in females than male subjects (59.24% vs 35.97%). The most commonly associated risk factors of MetS in our population were abdominal obesity plus hyperglycemia plus low HDL cholesterol. The complications found in our population were type2 diabetes and it complications in 42% of the cases and cardiovascular disease in 32%. Our study showed that MetS was highly prevalent among obese patients. The most prevalent component of MetS in our population was abdominal obesity and hyperglycemia. Targeting obesity and sedentarity is the main solution for the prevention and treatment of the MetS.