Prevalence of metabolic syndrome among prediabetic Omani adults: A preliminary study

Background: Metabolic syndrome is a well-established risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). A recent cross-sectional, community-based study revealed that 36.1% of Omani adults are prediabetic as per American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its relationship to various risk factors in a prediabetic population. Methods: Our study included 281 Omani prediabetic adults. The anthropometric, systolic, and diastolic blood pressure measurements together with lipid profile estimation were carried out. Results: In this study, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was found to be 45.9%, and the gender-based distribution was 30.8% for men and 58.9% for women. The stepwise multiple logistic regression model revealed that women are at higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Prediabetics with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30.0 (kg/m²) and abnormal waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) have a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome with odds ratios (OR) of 20.20 and 6.38, respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in this prediabetic study population was found to be higher than that of in the general population. Certain health promotion and disease prevention measures have been suggested. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on this subject.