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Metabolic Syndrome in Blacks: Are the Criteria Right?

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Abstract

Blacks have a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) that can be partly ascribed to the lower prevalent rates of some major components of MetS, namely the lower serum triglycerides and higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in blacks when compared with whites. Blacks manifest greater insulin resistance, the pivotal lesion underpinning MetS than whites. However, the relationships among insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors are weaker in blacks than whites. The international bodies have recommended the use of European-based cutoff points for MetS for blacks. However, with the emerging inconsistencies in the association of insulin resistance and CVD risk factors in blacks, the use of these definitions and the cutoff points for MetS have become problematic. Therefore, it is important to review the limitations in the use of the current criteria and cutoff points of MetS in blacks to lessen the CVD risk burden in blacks.

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Disclosure

Dr. Kwame Osei is a member of the scientific advisory committee for Eli-Lilly and Daiichi Sankyo Pharmaceutical Companies. He is also on the speakers’ bureau for Novo Nordisk Pharmaceutical Company.

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Osei, K. Metabolic Syndrome in Blacks: Are the Criteria Right?. Curr Diab Rep 10, 199–208 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-010-0116-4

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