Ethnic differences in metabolic syndrome among South Asians of Pakistan

Objective: To determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in different ethnic subgroups of urban population of Karachi, Pakistan.
Methodology: This cross sectional study was conducted in Lyari Town. Data of 856 adults > 25 years old was available in terms of ethnic subgroups for analysis; 363 of these subjects gave blood samples. Their anthropometric, demographic and biochemical data was collected. Distinct ethnic subgroups- Muhajir, Punjabi, Sindhi, Baluchi and Pushtun were defined on the basis of mother tongue.
Results: Out of 856 subjects, 73% were females. Mean age of the subjects was 40.7�14.1 years. Metabolic syndrome was found in 34.8% subjects according to the IDF criteria. In terms of ethnic groups the highest prevalence of metabolic syndrome was seen in Pushtuns (41.3%) and the lowest in Muhajirs (32.5%). Statistically significant differences were seen in the age adjusted waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, fasting triglycerides, insulin and HOMA levels among ethnic subgroups.
Conclusion: Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the studied population was found to be significantly high but there was no statistical difference seen among various ethnic subgroups. Further large scale studies are needed to confirm these findings.