Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components in Urban Cambodia: A Cross-Sectional Study

The incidence of noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus, is increasing in Cambodia. Urbanization and lifestyle changes due to rapid economic development have affected the components of metabolic syndrome (MetS). This study aimed to determine the prevalence of MetS, MetS components, and health status among Cambodians living in urban areas.

This cross-sectional study enrolled adult Cambodians (age ≥ 20 years) who underwent a health checkup at a Japanese hospital in Phnom Penh. MetS was defined based on the harmonized diagnostic definition from the joint interim statement.

Among the 6090 (3174 men and 2916 women) participants who were enrolled in the study, the prevalence of MetS was 60.1% in men and 52.4% in women. The prevalence of elevated blood pressure was 73.2% in men and 65.3% in women, and was the highest MetS component in both men and women. In contrast, the lowest prevalence rates were observed for abdominal obesity (44.8%) in men and for high triglyceride levels (33.5%) in women. The MetS group showed a significantly higher proportion of patients with hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and obesity compared with the non-MetS group.

The high prevalence of MetS in this study was attributed to urbanization, as in economically developed countries. It is necessary to explore the lifestyle habits of Cambodians that contribute to MetS and to develop preventive measures to reduce the incidence and prevalence of MetS.