Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and Its Relationship to Weight in the Thai Population
Chatlert Pongchaiyakul MD*, Tuan V Nguyen PhD**, Ekgaluck Wanothayaroj MD*, Napaporn Krusun BSc***, Virat Klungboonkrong MD****
Affiliation : * Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen ** Garvan Institute of Medical Research, St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia *** Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen **** Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen
Background : Although the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been well-documented in
Western Caucasian populations, there are few studies in non-Caucasian populations. The objectives of the
present study were to estimate the prevalence of MetS and to find an optimal BMI cut-off value for defining
obesity in the Thai population.
Materials and Methods : A sample of 307 men and 295 healthy women aged between 20 and 90 years (average
age of 45 years) who came for a health check-up clinic in Khon Kaen, a northeast province of Thailand, were
studied. The present study was conducted between 2003 and 2004. The modified ATP III criteria were used to
estimate the age-and-sex specific prevalence of MetS, in which a BMI of > 27 kg/m2 for men and 25 kg/m2 for
women were used in place of waist circumference. In the Thai population, these BMI cut-offs were equivalent
to a percent body fat of 25% and 35% in men and women respectively.
Results : The overall prevalence of MetS was 15%, with no significant differences between men (15.3%) and
women (14.6%). In men, the prevalence increased from 9.5% among the 20-39 age group to 24.7% among the
50+ age groups. In women, the respective prevalence was 7% and 29.5%. When BMI was removed from the
classification of MetS, the overall prevalence of “MetS-without-BMI” (still defined by the presence of at least
3 abnormalities) in both men and women was 7.8%. However, the prevalence of MetS-without-BMI increased
with higher BMI levels: among those with BMI < 25, the prevalence was 4.6% in men and 5.0% in women;
among those with BMI > 25, the prevalence was 13% in men and 16% in women.
Conclusion : The prevalence of MetS in this semi-rural Thai population was 15%, which is as common as in
Caucasian populations. In the Thai population, obesity was a major component of MetS.
Keywords : Metabolic syndrome, Body mass index, Body weight, Prevalence, Thai, Epidemiology
