Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Iran: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Metabolic syndrome is a set of metabolic disorders, including abdominal obesity, hypertension, increased fasting blood sugar, increased serum triglyceride level, and decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level. This condition elevates the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Regarding this, the present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Iran.

Methods: This systematic review was conducted on the articles published within 2000-2015. The search was performed using the international databases, including Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, and Scopus, and Persian databases of SID, IranMedex, and MagIran. The keywords employed during the searching process entailed: “Prevalence”, “Frequency”, and “Metabolic syndrome”. The heterogeneity between the studies was assessed using I2 index. Data analysis was performed through meta-analysis technique (random-effects model) in Stata version 12.

Results: In the 32 studies conducted in Iran with the sample size of 74,440 cases, the total prevalence of metabolic syndrome was reported to be 32% (95% CI: 28-35). Based on the National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel III, International Diabetes Federation, and Joint Interim Statement criteria, the prevalence rates of metabolic syndrome were reported to be 30% (95% CI: 25-34), 34% (95% CI: 29-40), and 39% (95% CI: 33-45) in 23, 13, and 5 studies, respectively.

Conclusion: As this study indicated, metabolic syndrome has a high prevalence in Iran. However, no significant changes have been observed in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the past few years in this country. Therefore, the high prevalence of metabolic syndrome can be prevented by focusing on the reduction of risk factors for this disorder.