Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its relationship with diabetes mellitus by aging

Introduction. It is important to make a prompt diagnosis of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in order to prevent the development of cardio-/cerebro- vascular diseases and diabetes mellitus (DM). The authors estimated the risk of development of DM by the presence/absence of MetS and age groups. Methods. A cross-sectional study of subjects undergoing intensive health examination was conducted (3149 men aged 30-69 years). Diagnosis of MetS was based on the criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel (NCEP). Results. The prevalence of DM occurring in association with MetS increased with age; it was 11.9% in subjects with MetS in their 30s, it was 19.8% in subjects with MetS in their 60s. The prevalence of DM among subjects who had one or two components of MetS also increased with age. There was a significant progressive increase of the odds ratio in subjects in their 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s who were judged as having MetS; significant increase of the odds ratio was seen in subjects in their 60s, even in those who were not judged as having MetS. Conclusions. Subjects with MetS show a high prevalence of DM, and the prevalence increased with age in the subjects.