The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its economic inequality in an elderly population.

To determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and economic inequality in its distribution in an elderly population. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving individuals aged 60 years and above in Tehran, where 160 clusters were randomly selected through a multi-stage cluster sampling. Following the selection of participants, interviews were administered, and anthropometric measurements were taken for all individuals. Fasting blood samples were collected to assess lipid and glucose levels, and blood pressure was recorded under standardized conditions. The definition of metabolic syndrome in this study was based on the criteria established by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). Data from 1,288 individuals were examined for this report. Among these participants, 62.6% (806 individuals) were female and the mean age was 68.1 ± 6.5 years, ranging from 60 to 97 years. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 51.2% (95% CI: 47.7 to 54.8). Hypertension emerged as the most prevalent component of metabolic syndrome, affecting 77.5% of the participants (95% CI: 74.9 to 80.1), while glucose-related disorder was the least prevalent, observed in 30.8% of the participants (95% CI: 27.5 to 34.0). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 39.5% (95% CI: 35.7 to 43.2) in men and 60.9% (95% CI: 55.9 to 65.9) in women. The multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that the likelihood of developing metabolic syndrome was significantly higher in females. Furthermore, individuals with a high school education or higher exhibited a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome in comparison to those who were illiterate. The results of this model also revealed a non-linear association between age and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome, with individuals aged 60 to 64 years demonstrating a greater likelihood of the condition relative to those aged 75 to 79 years. In the second multiple model, individuals with low income showed a significantly increased odds of metabolic syndrome. According to the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition, the proportion attributed to the explained component was 76.34% (p = 0.014), while the gap resulting from the unexplained component was found to be statistically insignificant (p = 0.544). The analysis of inequality within the explained portion revealed that education accounts for 48.02%, female gender contributes 27.4%, and being aged 75 to 79 years serves as a protective factor, contributing 13.06% to the observed inequality. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome among individuals aged 60 years and above is notably high. A significant disparity exists between low-income and high-income groups regarding the prevalence of this syndrome, with higher economic status serving as a protective factor. Focusing on education and female gender in various economic strata, may prove beneficial in the prevention of this condition.