Waist circumference cut-off points for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome in Iranian adults

AimsCentral obesity, a prominent feature of metabolic syndrome (MetS), is commonly assessed by gender- and ethnicity-specific waist circumference (WC) cut-off values. Since 2006, the recommended WC cut-offs by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) for Europeans are used in Iran because of limited data availability. The purpose of this study was to determine optimal cut-off points for the diagnosis of MetS in Iran.MethodsA total of 2752 adults (1046 men) were studied. Subjects with two or more of the following risk factors from the IDF criteria were considered to have multiple risk factors: hyperglycemia (FBG ≥ 100 mg/dL or diagnosed diabetes), high blood pressure (SBP ≥ 130 mmHg, DBP ≥ 85 mmHg, or using antihypertensive drugs), low HDL (<50 mg/dL for females and <40 mg/dL for males), and high TG (>150 mg/dL).ResultsThe WC cut-off yielding maximum sensitivity plus specificity for predicting the presence of multiple risk factors was 91.5 cm in men and 85.5 cm in women. Sensitivity and specificity were 77% (86%) and 58% (50%) in men (women), respectively. MetS prevalence was estimated to be approximately 27% in Tehran.ConclusionsWC cut-offs recommended by the IDF are not appropriate for use in Iran.