Urbanization-gradient-, gender- and age-specific prevalence of metabolic syndrome abnormal components and their accumulation in adults in Burkina Faso: analysis of the first national data

Background: Accumulation of metabolic syndrome abnormal components dramatically increases the risk for cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to assess the specific prevalence of abnormal components according to the urbanization gradient, gender and age, with the cumulative number of abnormalities in Burkinabè, using nationally representative data.Methods: Data of 4365 participants to the Burkina Faso 2013 Stepwise approach to Surveillance study were analysed, including sociodemographic parameters (with age-groups of 25-34; 35-44; 45-54 and 55-64y), components defined with the International Diabetes Federation criteria (waist circumference [WC], blood pressure [BP], high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C], fasting blood glucose [FBG]). The urbanization gradient was the four quartiles of the regional urbanization rates.Results: Between quartiles, prevalences (%) of abnormal components significantly differed and the extremes were: 71.1-81.2 in men(♂), 75.9-81.2 in women(♀) for low HDL-C; 32.8-48.2(♂), 21.5-51.6(♀) for elevated BP; 3.4-7.3(♂), 30.8-45.5(♀) for high WC; 6.2-11.0(♂), 6.7-14.2(♀) for high FBG; 2.8-7.3(♂), 9.6-24.0(♀) for individuals who cumulated at least three abnormalities; and the extreme means in cumulative number of abnormalities were 1.3-1.5(♂), 1.4-1.9(♀). Between age-groups, prevalences significantly differed and the extremes were: 71.9-81.6(♂), 71.8-83.1(♀) for low HDL-C; 32.3-49.1(♂), 23.8-30.3(♀) for elevated BP; 2.0-14.0(♂), 24.8-65.3(♀) for high WC; 6.4-13.0(♂), 5.5-10.4(♀) for high FBG; 2.5-12.0(♂), 8.5-25.8(♀) for individuals who cumulated at least three abnormalities; and the extreme means in number of abnormalities were 1.2-1.4(♂), 1.4-1.9(♀).Conclusion: The low HDL-C was nationally prevalent and could serve as a background to the metabolic abnormalities’ accumulation, which worsened with the process of urbanization and demographic transition, and more severely in women.