285 Prevalence and trends of the metabolic syndrome in French adults: the MONA LISA Study.

Purpose: To assess ten-year change in the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among French subjects using the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEPATP III) criteria with the American Diabetes Association''s updated definition of elevated fasting glucose (≥ 1g/l). Two definitions were assessed, one taking into account a treatment for hypertension and for elevated triglycerides or reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (Met2) and the other not (Met). Methods: Two cross-sectional representative surveys of the general population were carried out in 1996 and 2006 in three French areas: the Urban Community of Lille in the North, the districts of Bas-Rhin in the East and of Haute-Garonne in the South. Inhabitants aged 35-64 years were randomly recruited from electoral rolls after stratification on gender, 10 year-age group and town size. Standardized sociodemographic, medical and anthropometric data were collected and a fasted blood sample was analysed centrally. Prevalences in the age group 35-64 years were adjusted for the French population of year 2000. Results: A total of 3405 subjects in 1996 and 3554 subjects in 2006 were included in the analyses. In both years the metabolic syndrome was more common among men than among women and increased with age. The age-adjusted prevalences [95% confidence interval] of Met were 26.3% [23.9-28.7] and 18.1% [16.1-20.1] in 1996 and 23.1% [20.9-25.3] and 15.1% [13.3-16.9] in 2006, in men and women respectively. The equivalent results for Met2 were 30.5%, 21.5%, 24.8% and 16.4%. The age-adjusted prevalence of Met (Met2) decreased significantly by 12.1% (18.7%) in men and 16.6% (23.7%) in women. Of the five Met criteria, decreasing trends were observed in the prevalence of high blood pressure, elevated fasting glucose, low HDL cholesterol. By contrast, prevalence of abdominal obesity appeared unchanged whereas prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia increased significantly. Conclusions: In France, the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome tended to decline in the last decade in both genders, particularly in women. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]