The prevalence of metabolic syndrome among active sportsmen/sportswomen and sedentary workers in the Kumasi metropolis

Abstract

This study sought to establish the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) among active sportsmen/sportswomen and sedentary workers in the Kumasi Metropolis using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III), World Health Organization (WHO), and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. The study was conducted between March and April, 2010. One hundred and eighty six (186) participants were involved with eighty five (85) being active sportsmen/sportswomen as study control and one hundred and one (101) sedentary workers from the Kumasi metropolis as study subjects. The study participants were recruited from a population of young and adult individuals between the ages of 19-82 years. The percentage prevalence of MetS was 1.6%, 7.4% and 14.4% when the WHO, NCEP-ATP III and IDF criteria respectively were applied on the total population. Generally, the prevalence of MetS was significantly higher among the sedentary group i.e. 3.5%, 14.0% and 26.7% for WHO, NCEP-ATP III and IDF criteria respectively as compared to the active population i.e. 0.0%, 2.0% and 3.9% for WHO, NCEP-ATP III and IDF criteria respectively. The prevalence of the MetS varied greatly between the active and sedentary subjects depending on the criteria used. Central obesity appears to be the key determinant of the prevalence of the MetS in Ghana. Preventive actions such as exercise, active lifestyles and healthy eating habits have to be implemented to reduce the tendency to obesity and MetS in the Ghanaian populace.

Metabolic Syndrome in Apparently “Healthy” Ghanaian Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…The nine studies altogether included a total population of 1,559 sampled across 4 regions of Ghana. Six studies were conducted in Ashanti region [23, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31], one was conducted in Eastern region [27], one was conducted in Greater Accra [24], and one study involved participants sampled from two regions (Northern and Ashanti) [29]. Five studies had a cross-sectional design and 4 were case-control studies.…”

“…Four studies adopted NCEP-ATP, WHO, and IDF criteria concurrently, three studies used only NCEP-ATP classification, one study used the NCEP-ATP along with the IDF classification, and another study adopted the WHO and NCEP-ATP classifications. Of the nine (9) studies that presented prevalence based on NCEP-ATP classification only six (6) studies [24, 25, 28–31] explicitly stated that the 2001 definition had been used whereas the remaining three studies did not specify if the 2001 classification or its revised version had been adopted [23, 26, 27]. In view of this, we combined all studies that used NCEP-ATP irrespective of version.…”

The Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components among People with Type 2 Diabetes in the Ho Municipality, Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Hypertension is identified as an independent cardiovascular risk factor and, in combination with insulin resistance, will have a synergistic effect which results in a grave risk for severe vascular events [ 34 ]. Abdominal/central obesity is associated with high amount of visceral fat, which is metabolically active, producing free fatty acids and inflammatory cytokines that drain directly into the liver via the portal circulation [ 20 , 35 ]. This could elicit various complex injurious mechanisms leading to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease [ 35 , 36 ].…”

“…Among the Ghanaian population with diabetes, predominantly high prevalence of MetS (24–78.8%) has been reported at different locations, with different definitive criteria [ 1 , 13 , 17 – 19 ]. Due to the influence of genetic and lifestyle factors in the development of MetS, the prevalence and principal components of the syndrome vary among populations [ 20 ]. There is a dearth of information in the Ghanaian literature on metabolic syndrome among people with type 2 diabetes within the regional jurisdiction of the current work (Volta region).…”

Association between metabolic syndrome and sexual dysfunction among men with clinically diagnosed diabetes

“…The prevalence of MetS and SD would vary depending on the defining criteria, age, genetic make-up, diet, occupation, cultural background, socioeconomic status, medical condition as well as the population involved. Depending on the criteria used among Ghanaians, the prevalence of MetS varies between 11.5 - 15.5% among psychiatric patients [6], 1.6 – 14.4% among active sportsmen and women [7], 13 – 18% among garage workers in the automobile industry [8] and 30.1% among chronic kidney disease patients [9]. MetS affected individuals are subjected to endothelial dysfunction and autonomic hyperactivity which sets the stage for metabolic risk factors inducing SD [10].…”