Magnitude of Metabolic Syndrome and Associated Risk Factors among Adult Cardiac Patients Attending Chronic Illness Follow Up Clinic in Jimma University Medical Center, Southwest Ethiopia, 2024

Abstract

Background: Metabolic syndrome is a condition that includes a cluster of risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. The cluster of metabolic factors include abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, impaired fasting glucose, high triglyceride levels, and low high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. However, when a person has three or more of these metabolic disorders, it is usually diagnosed as metabolic syndrome, which further increases the risk for additional health problems. Metabolic syndrome is becoming a big public health problem in developing countries like Ethiopia. Developing countries have an almost two-fold higher risk of death due to these non-communicable diseases compared to high-income countries. Objective: The main aim of the present study is to determine the magnitude of metabolic syndrome and associated risk factors among adult cardiac patients attending a chronic illness follow-up clinic at Jimma University Medical Center. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 321 sequentially selected adult cardiac patients from December 21, 2023, to March 21, 2024. Data was collected on socio-demographic, clinical, anthropometric, and lifestyle characteristics using a structured questionnaire adapted from the different literatures. Fasting blood glucose and lipid profiles were tested using a blood sample. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with metabolic syndrome, and variables will be considered statistically significant at p <0.05. Results: A total of 321 participants were included in the study, of whom 182 (56.69%) were females and 139 (43.30%) were males. A total of 131 (40.81%) and 133 (41.43%) adult cardiac patients were found to have metabolic syndrome according to modified adult treatment panel III and international diabetic federation criteria, respectively. Metabolic syndrome was seen more among females (28.03%) as compared to males (12.77%), according to modified adult treatment panel III. The frequency of metabolic syndrome components was reduced high density lipoprotein cholesterol (55.1%), raised blood pressure (46.72%), elevated triglyceride (46.40%), elevated fasting glucose (22.42%), and abdominal obesity (7.47%). Conclusion: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome among cardiac patients was high, with low high density lipoprotein cholesterol and elevated blood pressure being the most commonly encountered abnormalities. Eating less than 1 plate per week vegetables, being physically inactive, khat chewing and eating red meat greater than or equal to 2kg per week were found to have a significant association with the occurrence of MetS.