Metabolic syndrome and associated factors in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) varies in European and Asian countries and does not always mirror the prevalence of the general population in a given country. We compared the prevalence of MetS in people with COPD with a comparison group in the United States. The National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey data set (2007-2010) was used to identify 94 people with COPD (mean age = 62). Data for demographic and clinical characteristics were obtained by interview and physical examination. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The prevalence of MetS was 57.5% in the COPD group and 53.6% in the comparison group. In people with COPD, the factors most significantly associated with MetS were age, income level, marital status, and respiratory symptoms. People with COPD should be screened for MetS.