PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Elabbassi, Wael N.
AU  - Haddad, Haissam A.
TI  - The epidemic of the metabolic syndrome
DP  - 2005 Mar 01
TA  - Saudi Medical Journal
PG  - 373--375
VI  - 26
IP  - 3
4099  - http://smj.org.sa/content/26/3/373.short
4100  - http://smj.org.sa/content/26/3/373.full
SO  - Saudi Med J2005 Mar 01; 26
AB  - The incidence of metabolic syndrome (MS) is rising worldwide. This is partly due to a significant increase in the prevalence of obesity. Observational cross-sectional studies as well as demographic health surveys from the Middle East, point out that the prevalence of obesity increases from an average of 6% in healthy children to 20% in adolescent males and to a further 32% in elderly patients. The impact of obesity on our population is expected to be considerable; especially, as it feeds into further rising in the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, MS and cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of MS in nondiabetic adults in Europe was recently reported to be 15%. In the Middle East, as pointed out by pilot observational projects, is estimated to be anywhere between 15-25%. The medical system is unprepared to deal with this epidemic partly due to scanty knowledge on the clinical significance of the MS and importantly as there is a limited number of specific treatments that we can offer these patients.