Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in a Russian population: The Ural Eye and Medical Study and the Ural Very Old Study.

Purpose: To examine prevalence and associated factors of the metabolic syndrome (MS) in populations in Russia.

Methods: Two population-based studies (Ural Eye and Medical Study (UEMS), Ural Very Old Study (UVOS)) were conducted in rural and urban regions in Bashkortostan/Russia and included participants aged 40+ years and 85+ years, respectively.

Results: Out of 5895 UEMS participants, 1572 individuals had MS (prevalence:26.7%; 95% confidence interval (CI):25.5,27.8). The criteria of waist circumference, blood pressure, hyperglycemia, serum high-density lipoprotein concentration and serum triglyceride concentration were fulfilled by 4269 (72.4%; 95%CI:71.3,73.6), 3168 (53.7%; 95%CI:52.5,55.1), 1375 (23.3%; 95%CI:22.4,24.6), 712 (13.3%; 95%CI:12.4,14.2), and 1527 (28.6%; 95%CI:27.4,29.8) individuals, respectively. Higher MS prevalence was associated with older age (odds ratio (OR):1.03; 95%CI:1.02,1.04; < 0.001), female sex (OR:1.93; 95%CI:1.51,2.47; < 0.001), higher body height (OR:1.03; 95%CI:1.01,1.04; < 0.001), Russian ethnicity (OR:1.38; 95%CI:1.13,1.70; = 0.002), lower ankle-brachial index (OR:0.19; 95%CI:0.11,0.30; < 0.001), higher prevalence of lower backache (OR:1.29; 95%CI:1.08,1.52; = 0.004), cardiovascular disease (OR:2.32; 95%CI:1.92,2.78; < 0.001) and thyroid disease (OR:1.41; 95%CI:1.04,1.92; = 0.03), lower international normalized ratio (OR:0.55; 95%CI:0.32,0.95; = 0.03), lower prevalence of current smoking (OR:0.67; 95%CI:0.50,0.89; = 0.006), and higher prevalence of alcohol consumption (OR:1.35; 95%CI:1.11,1.64; = 0.003). Out of 1124 UVOS participants (age:88.2 ± 2.7 years; range:85-100 years), MS was present in 485 individuals (prevalence:43.1%; 95%CI:40.3,46.1). The criteria of waist circumference, blood pressure, hyperglycemia, serum high-density lipoprotein concentration and serum triglyceride concentration were fulfilled by 853 (75.9%; 95%CI:73.4,78.4), 1057 (94.0%; 95%CI:92.7,95.4), 320 (26.9%; 95%CI:24.3,29.5), 525 (46.7%; 95%CI:43.8,49.6), and 337 (30.0%; 95%CI:27.3,32.7, individuals, respectively. Higher MS prevalence was associated with female sex (OR:2.30; 95%CI:1.72,3.09; < 0.001) and higher serum concentration of aspartate transaminase (OR:1.02; 95%CI:1.01,1.03; = 0.007).

Conclusions: MS is common in Russia, increases with age up to about 70 years and then plateaus, is more common in women, and differs in its associated factors between middle-aged and very old populations.