Epidemiological characteristics of the metabolic syndrome in apparently healthy persons.

The risk factors that define the metabolic syndrome lead to an accelerated development of atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases in apparently healthy persons. The goal of the research is determining the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome as well as the participation of the risk factors that define this condition in apparently healthy persons. The metabolic syndrome is defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in the examined population, aged 53 +/- 8, is 62 (39.7%). In the group of subjects that have the metabolic syndrome,the largest number of subjects had 3 risk factors and only 5 subjects had 5 risk factors. With the increase of the number of components of the metabolic syndrome, all the observed parameters of the metabolic syndrome also increase, while the level of HDL decreases. In all the examined groups of subjects, the low level of HDL-H is the most present metabolic risk factor, while in the groups of subjects that have the metabolic syndrome the hypertension is the second most present factor, and the waist circumference is the least present factor. According to our research, the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in apparently healthy persons that have a sedentary life style is 39.7%. In all the subjects the low level of HDL-h is the most present, and in the subjects with the metabolic syndrome compared to subjects that do not have this syndrome the frequency of all the components of the metabolic syndrome is statistically considerably higher.