Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Middle-aged Adults: A Hospital-based Study

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) represents a constellation of cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors that significantly increase the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD).Data on its burden in middle-aged adults from hospital-based settings remain limited.The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of MetS and its individual components among middle-aged adults attending a tertiary care hospital. Materials and methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted among 246 adults aged 40-60 years.Demographic, anthropometric, hemodynamic, and biochemical parameters were recorded.Metabolic syndrome was defined using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) criteria.Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: The prevalence of MetS was 56.9% (140/246).Participants with MetS had significantly higher mean age, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, and triglyceride levels, and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels compared to those without MetS (p < 0.05 for all).Elevated blood pressure (67.5%) and high triglycerides (62.6%) were the most common MetS components, followed by abdominal obesity (56.1%), low HDL-C (53.7%), and elevated fasting glucose (43.9%).Females had a higher prevalence of MetS than males (63.2 vs 51.5%).The majority of MetS cases had three (29.3%)or four (20.3%) components, while 7.3% exhibited all five.Conclusion: More than half of middle-aged adults in this hospital-based cohort had MetS, with clustering of multiple cardiometabolic risk factors.Early screening and preventive interventions targeting high-risk individuals are imperative to reduce future cardiovascular and metabolic disease burden.