Characteristics and prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among three ethnic groups in Canada

Abstract

Objective: To compare the characteristics and prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) among Native Indians, Inuit, and non-Aboriginal Canadians. Methods: The study was based on four cross-sectional studies conducted in the late 1980s and early 1990s involving three ethnic groups living in contiguous regions in central Canada: Oji-Cree Indians from several reserves in northern Ontario and Manitoba, Inuit from the Keewatin region of the Northwest Territories, and non-Aboriginal Canadians (predominantly of European heritage) in the province of Manitoba. The MetS was identified among adult subjects according to the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) definition. Prevalence rates were standardized to the 1991 Canadian national population. Results: The age-standardized prevalence of the MetS varied by ethnic group, ranging from as high as 45% among Native Indian women to as low as 8% among Inuit men. Compared with Canadians of European origin, Indians had a worse metabolic profile, while Inuit had a better metabolic profile except for a high rate of abdominal obesity. The NCEP criteria in identifying individuals with the MetS were compared to those of the World Health Organization (WHO) in a subset of subjects with the requisite laboratory data. There was moderate agreement between the NCEP and WHO definitions, with a kappa value of 0.63 (95% confidence interval 0.56-0.70). Conclusions:The results indicate that the MetS is prevalent in diverse ethnic groups in Canada but varies in the pattern of phenotypic expression. Given the diverse nature of these populations, careful consideration should be given to developing culturally appropriate community-based prevention strategies aimed at reducing the frequency of this syndrome.

Metabolic Syndrome: Prevalence among American Indian and Alaska Native People Living in the Southwestern United States and in Alaska

“…Western Alaska EARTH Study men and women had the lowest prevalence rates of elevated triglycerides, low HDL and elevated glucose; this pattern was also similar to the pattern described in the Canadian population for the Inuit compared to the Oji-Cree Indians and to non-aboriginal populations. 4 Previous studies in Alaska communities have also documented lower prevalence rates of elevated triglycerides/low HDL levels among the Yupik people. 15,16 The age-adjusted prevalence rate of metabolic syndrome among southwestern EARTH Study men (43.2%) was almost twice as high as that reported for U.S. whites (24.8%), and the rate for women (47.3%) was over twice as high as that for U.S. whites (22.8%).…”

“…The variation in prevalence was similar to that reported by Canadian studies, where rates were lowest among the Inuit (both Yupik and Inuit are peoples of the North American Arctic region and are culturally related) and highest among First Nations people. 4,[10][11][12][13][14] Not only did the overall prevalence rates of metabolic syndrome vary by region, but the distribution of the individual risk factors varied as well. Western Alaska EARTH Study men and women had the lowest prevalence rates of elevated triglycerides, low HDL and elevated glucose; this pattern was also similar to the pattern described in the Canadian population for the Inuit compared to the Oji-Cree Indians and to non-aboriginal populations.…”

“…3 Studies in the Canadian population have found the preva-lence of metabolic syndrome to vary by ethnicity; the overall crude rate of metabolic syndrome was 33.3% among Native Indian people, 13.5% among Inuit people, and 30% among non-Aboriginal people. 4 The Education and Research Towards Health (EARTH) Study has been collecting data related to risk factors for chronic diseases among American Indian and Alaska Native people since 2004. The study provides the opportunity to measure the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among several different groups of American Indian and Alaska Native people who have a variety of lifestyles and to compare the results to those reported for other populations.…”

Association of macrosomia with perinatal and postneonatal mortality among First Nations people in Quebec

“…[4][5][6][7][8] Maternal obesity, impaired glucose tolerance and gestational diabetes mellitus are important risk factors for infant macrosomia 9,10 and are known to afflict a much higher proportion of people in Aboriginal populations than in the general population. [11][12][13][14] This is true especially for Aboriginal populations in which a traditional lifestyle has changed to a less physically active, modern lifestyle in recent decades. A high prevalence of infant macrosomia (up to 36%, which, to the best of our knowledge, is the highest in the world) has been reported in some First Nations communities of Quebec and eastern Ontario in Canada.…”

Paradoxical Relationships Between Anthropometric Variables and Phenotypic Expression of the Metabolic Syndrome in Nondiabetic Polynesians of New Caledonia

“…For example, Canadian or Greenland Inuits have rather low prevalence of dyslipidemia and hypertension despite high occurrence of abdominal obesity (12,13). Conversely, South Asian populations…”