Influence of Criteria Used in Determining Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (NCEP-ATPIII versus IDF) in Patients with Intermittent Claudication

Background In patients with peripheral arterial disease, metabolic syndrome is associated with less favorable evolution of intermittent claudication. Methods The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in claudicant patients using the IDF and the NCEP-ATPIII criteria, and to assess the level of agreement between the two definitions. Results In this cross-sectional study, 200 consecutive patients with intermittent claudication (65% male) were classified with or without metabolic syndrome according both criteria. The kappa coefficient was used to assess the level of agreement. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 60.5% when using the NCEP-ATPIII definition and 66.5% when using the IDF definition ( P = 0.088). Among men, the prevalence of MetS was 55.4% according to the NCEP-ATPIII and 63.1% according to the IDF ( P = 0.110) and, among women, 70.0% according to the NCEP-ATPIII and 72.9% according to the IDF ( P = 0.754). Conclusion Although the prevalence rates were similar, the reliability analysis showed that the agreement was substantial only among women and just moderate in the total population and among men.