Original scientific paper
Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in the Interior of Croatia: The Baranja Region
Sandra Tucak-Zorić
Ines Bilić Čurčić
Hrvoje Mihalj
Ivana Dumančić
Žarko Zelić
Nada Majetić Cetina
Robert Smolić
Martina Volarević
Saša Missoni
Andrea Tomljenović
Lajos Szirovicza
Zijad Duraković
Huifeng Xi
Ranajit Chakraborty
Ranjan Deka
Antun Tucak
Pavao Rudan
Abstract
Metabolic syndrome (MS), a constellation of metabolic risk factors associated with development of cardiovascular diseases
and Type 2 diabetes (T2D), has emerged as a public health problem of enormous proportions in developed and developing
countries. We have reported previously its prevalence in several island populations of the Eastern Adriatic coast
of Croatia. In spite of leading a relatively traditional life style pattern including adherence to a Mediterranean diet, the
prevalence of MS in these populations is high and comparable to that in developed nations. However, data on prevalence
of MS among the mainland Croatian populations is limited. Therefore, we conducted a study in an outbred population
comprising of Croats, Hungarians and Serbs from the Baranja region of mainland Croatia. Although this is an ethnically
heterogeneous population, the constituent groups exchange mates and therefore, are not reproductively isolated.
The life style patterns are also similar. Overall prevalence of MS, assessed by the National Cholesterol Education Program
(NCEP) criteria, is 40% (35% in males and 42% in females) with Body Mass Index (BMI) as the predictor of obesity
and 42% (52% in males and 39% in females) with Waist Hip Ratio (WHR) as the predictor of obesity. It is likely that, in
addition to genetic risk factors, a host of environmental factors that include dietary habits and relatively urban life style
in a modernized society have influenced the levels of the constituent metabolic traits leading to an increased prevalence of MS.
Keywords
metabolic syndrome; Croatia; body mass index; waist hip ratio; carbohydrate intolerance; dyslipidemia; National Cholesterol Education Program
Hrčak ID:
27059
URI
Publication date:
2.9.2008.
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