High prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Iran in comparison with France: what are the components that explain this?

The aim of this study was to investigate the difference in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components between an Iranian and a French population. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome, defined according to the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III), and of related abnormalities, was estimated in 1,386 French and 1,194 Iranian adults. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was significantly higher in Iranian women (55.0%), followed by Iranian men (30.1%), than in French men (13.7%) and French women (6.6%). Iranian women were characterized by high rates of abdominal obesity (65.0%), hypertension (52.1%), hypertriglyceridemia (43.1%), and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C; 92.7%). Iranian men were characterized by high rates of hypertension (48.9%), hypertriglyceridemia (42.8%), and low HDL-C (81.8%). French men had high rates of hypertension (44.7%) and mild rates of hypertriglyceridemia (28.6%) and hyperglycemia (23.9%). There was a relationship between waist circumference and the lipid components of metabolic syndrome in both countries. The main finding of this study is the high prevalence of low HDL-C concentrations in the Iranian population, especially in Iranian women, compared with French women. Explanation of this observation could help in establishing prevention strategies.