Combination of risk factors for metabolic syndrome in the military personnel of the Brazilian Navy.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are the major cause of death in the population, and metabolic syndrome (MS) is a clinical condition significantly associated with the increase in morbidity and mortality.

Objective: To describe the pattern of combination of the risk factors related to the diagnosis of MS in the military personnel of the Brazilian Navy and to identify variables associated with the presence of MS in that population.

Methods: Cross-sectional study involving 1,383 men (18-62 years) assigned to military organizations in the city of Natal, state of Rio Grande do Norte. The criterion proposed by the International Diabetes Association was used for the diagnosis of MS. The ratio between observed and expected prevalence and the respective confidence intervals were used to identify the combinations of risk factors that exceeded that expected for the population. Logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with MS.

Results: The prevalence of MS was 17.6%. Approximately one third of the military personnel studied had two or more risk factors for MS. All specific combinations of risk factors for MS that exceeded the expected prevalence had abdominal obesity as one of its components. In the adjusted analyses, age, smoking and physical activity level remained associated with MS.

Conclusion: Our findings reinforce the constant presence of abdominal obesity in the phenotype of MS. In addition, our data also support the idea that age, smoking and low level of physical activity are independent variables for the occurrence of MS.