Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in the Mixed Hypercholesterolemic Populations with Respect to Gender, Age, and Obesity in Asir, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This record study aimed to investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) profiles regarding sex, age, and obesity for the riskier factor of cardiovascular diseases in a general population in Saudi Arabia. Laboratory and anthropometric measurements were performed on non-specific participants with variant ages and BMI in either sex. Serobiochemical changes were measured for metabolic profiles, i.e., A1C/FSG, TC, TGC, HDLC/LDLC, Vit.D, TSH/T4, Hb, and Cr. The study was applied in a Polyclinic, Abha, Saudi Arabia in 2020 G. The general population showed variable incidences of MetS profiles, such as 69.4% diabetes, 85.5% hypothyroidism, and 92.2% obesity. Hypothyroidism showed a higher incidence in women rather than in men, but men were more dyslipidemic, with higher TGC and LDLC but low HDLC, compared to women. Men <40 Y. showed diabetes and hypothyroidism, but elders were dyslipidemic. Women <40 Y. showed anemia and hypovitaminosis-D but were suffering from hypothyroidism at all ages. Diabetes, hypothyroidism, hypovitaminosis-D, and dyslipidemia were the main MetS components in both overweight and obese participants, and an incidence of more than 50% in each profile was recorded. Diabetes with hypertension was characteristic of obese participants rather than those overweight. About 66.1% of the mixed-hypercholesterolemic cases were diabetic, but 18.9% of the mixed-diabetic participants were hypercholesterolemic. Castelli’s risk factors, CRI-I and CRI-II, and atherogenic indices, AIP and AC, were measured for evaluating the cardiac risk in different populations based on the AUC–ROC and cut-off values. Insulin-resistance marker (TyG) was also measured, showing considerable cut-off values for diabetic susceptibility in the lipidemic participants with higher TGC and TC rather than HDLC or LDLC. In conclusion, MetS showed higher susceptibility to sex and age with increased incidence in women rather than men. However, the cardiac risk was more susceptible to men of higher TGC and low HDLC than women. Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was more prominent in both elders (≥40 Y.) than younger ages of either sex. Anemia and deficiency of Vit. D was characteristic of young women (<40 Y.). Hypothyroidism affects young men <40 Y. but was recorded in women of all ages. Both dyslipidemia and diabetes could trigger CVD, showing higher cardiac risk in mixed-hypercholesterolemic men rather than women. Our study strongly suggests that the consumption of unhealthy junk food, tobacco smoking, lack of exercise, and physical inactivity could be conclusive evidence of MetS in the Saudi population.

Effects of Age, Metabolic and Socioeconomic Factors on Cardiovascular Risk among Saudi Women: A Subgroup Analysis from the Heart Health Promotion Study

“…Most of the studies which investigated CVD and risk factors in women in Saudi Arabia were either small cross-sectional studies targeting young college students [ 8 , 9 , 10 ], mostly investigating one risk factor for CVD [ 11 , 12 ], or studies which included both men and women but did not include analysis to investigate the influence of age, or the hormonal changes of pregnancy and the menopause on the CVD risk factors [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”

Evidence That Increasing Serum 25(OH)D Concentrations to 30 ng/mL in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates Could Greatly Improve Health Outcomes

“…A study of the MetS and cardiometabolic risk factors was conducted in KSA that included 648 participants from the “general population” who visited the Specialized Polyclinic of Abha, Asir, KSA [ 44 ]. The patients had high rates of the features of MetS: 69.4% diabetes and 92.2% obesity.…”

Influence of Lifestyle Changes on Cardiovascular Diseases in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Among them, two were cross-sectional studies in Riyadh city, conducted on patients in primary healthcare centers, and conducted in primary healthcare centers and universities and online [7,21]. There was a prospective urban rural epidemiology study that compared rural and urban areas and found more physical inactivity-related risks in rural areas [24]; one included Hail City residents [30], one was a cross-sectional study including the general population in Abba [27], two were systematic literature reviews [25,26], one was conducted among nurses [28], and one was conducted during COVID-19 quarantine among medical students at Tabuk University [22]. Physical inactivity or low physical activity was reported in up to 69.4% of the population, mostly among Saudi women, with up to 1.5 odds of CVD [24].…”

“…It also found a negative correlation between Mediterranean diet and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, a risk factor for CVD [19]. A study exploring metabolic syndrome and cardiometabolic risk factors established that unhealthy junk food consumption increased risks for metabolic syndrome, increased serum cholesterol, and eventually higher exposure to CVD [27]. Similarly, five studies (three cross-sectional and two cohorts) reported that high cholesterol levels were associated with high risks of CVD [14,18,29,31,32].…”