Epidemiology of metabolic syndrome

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This article provides a global overview of the current trends and distribution of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome (also known as the cardiometabolic syndrome) refers to a cluster of related risk factors for cardiovascular disease that includes abdominal obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and elevated cholesterol.[1][2]

Data from the World Health Organization suggests 65% of the world's population live in countries where being overweight or obese kills more people than being underweight.[3] The WHO defines "overweight" as a BMI greater than or equal to 25, and "obesity" as a BMI greater than or equal to 30.[3] Both overweight and obesity are major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, specifically heart disease and stroke, and diabetes.

The International Diabetes Federation reports that as of 2011[needs update], 366 million people have diabetes; this number is projected to increase to over half a billion (estimated 552 million) by 2030.[4] 80 percent of people with diabetes live in developing countries and in 2011, diabetes caused 4.6 million deaths and approximately 78,000 children were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.[4]

  1. ^ Ford ES (2010). "Prevalence and correlates of metabolic syndrome based on a harmonious definition among adults in the U.S." Journal of Diabetes. 2 (3): 180–193. doi:10.1111/j.1753-0407.2010.00078.x. PMID 20923483.
  2. ^ Ford ES; et al. (2004). "Increasing prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among U.S. adults". Diabetes Care. 27 (10): 2444–2449. doi:10.2337/diacare.27.10.2444. PMID 15451914.
  3. ^ a b Obesity and Overweight." WHO. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/>.
  4. ^ a b "The Global Burden." International Diabetes Federation. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://www.idf.org/diabetesatlas/5e/the-global-burden Archived 2012-12-20 at the Wayback Machine>.