The metabolic syndrome: prevalence and association to leisure-time and work-related physical activity in 60-year-old men and women

Background and aimThis study examined the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its association to lifestyle factors in 60-year-old men and women, with special emphasis on physical activity (PA).Methods and resultsEvery third 60-year-old man and woman in the Stockholm County, Sweden, was invited to a survey of cardiovascular risk factors. Seventy-seven percent of the sample, 4228 individuals, agreed to participate (2036 men and 2192 women). Participants underwent physical examination and laboratory tests, and completed a questionnaire. After excluding 364 subjects suffering from cardiovascular disease and/or cancer, the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 24% and 19% in men and women, respectively. The adjusted odds ratio for having the metabolic syndrome in the high leisure-time PA group was 0.33 (95% confidence interval: 0.22–0.51) using the low leisure-time PA group as reference. However, no such inverse association was noted for work-related PA.ConclusionsThis cross-sectional survey of 60-year-old men and women demonstrates a high prevalence of the metabolic syndrome. The robust inverse dose–response relationship between leisure-time PA and the metabolic syndrome emphasises the role of PA in the prevention and treatment of the metabolic syndrome.