The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in young adults. The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

Abstract

There is a substantial increase in the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in healthy young adults between ages 24 and 39 driven mostly by the increase in obesity. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome is higher amongst Finnish young adult men compared with women. The secular trend between 1986 and 2001 suggest a dramatic increase in the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in 24-year-old young adults. Condensed abstract The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome may be increasing in young people. We studied the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in 2182 young Finnish adults aged 24-39 years using NCEP, EGIR and IDF criteria. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was higher amongst Finnish men than women and increased dramatically with age. There was also a dramatic increase in the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in 24-year-old adults between 1986 and 2001.