Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in elderly Iranian people living in nursing homes

Background: Population aging is accompanied by higher prevalence of MetS, which varies depending on the population and the used diagnostic criteria. The objective of this study is to determine prevalence of MetS among Iranian elderly. Methods: 245 of elderly residents in private nursing house in Tehran (90 men and 155 women) were studied. MS was defined according to National Cholesterol Education Program: Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) criteria. They were evaluated by clinical examination, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, lipid profile and anthropometric measurements - weight, height, waist circumference and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The prevalence of MetS was estimated by NCEP ATP III. Results: 57.5% showed normal status while 39.2% have MetS. Analysis of logistic regression in two groups after adjustment for gender, education, marital and vocation status and smoking habit showed that the risk of MetS in elderly women were 2-fold higher than men (OR: 2.077, CI: 1.198-3.601 and p= 0.009). Conclusion: Our study indicates that MetS is highly prevalent in the elderly people particularly among women. These results highlight an immediate action of preventive measures programs for modification of cardio-metabolic risk factors in elderly population.