Detection of metabolic syndrome burden in healthy young adults may enable timely introduction of disease prevention

INTRODUCTION: Metabolic syndrome and associated diseases are a global health problem. Detection of early metabolic modifications that may lead to metabolic syndrome would enable timely introduction of preventive lifestyle modifications. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In total 103 young, healthy adults were assessed for indicators of metabolic alterations. Anthropometric, lifestyle, genetic and biochemical parameters were assessed. Individuals who fulfilled at least one criterion for diagnosis of metabolic syndrome were assigned to the group with the higher metabolic syndrome burden (B-MeS). RESULTS: The 34 young healthy individuals who were assigned to the B-MeS group had lower fat-free mass, higher body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, fat mass, and blood pressure, more visceral fat, they were less physically active, had higher C-reactive protein values and higher catalase activity. Their phenotype was more similar to that of patients diagnosed with metabolic syndrome than the rest of the population. CONCLUSIONS: Simple anthropometric measurements, lifestyle assessment and basic biochemical measurements can be used to identify young healthy individuals with increased risk for metabolic syndrome. These assessments can be performed at periodic check-ups of the healthy population so that timely diagnosis of B-MeS can be made. As lifestyle factors have a big influence on development or improvement of the MeS, the timely diagnosis for B-MeS would enable an early opportunity for intervention for lifestyle modification in the still healthy population, saving costs and reducing disability adjusted life years.