Metabolic Syndrome in Patients attending the Staff Clinic of a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital

Background/objective: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterised by a clustering of cardiometabolic risk factors. It contributes to morbidity and mortality in adults. The objective of the study was to identify new cases and associated factors of MetS in patients attending a tertiary hospital staff clinic.Materials and methods: The study was conducted in the staff clinic of University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City. A cross-sectional descriptive design was used. The study population consisted of adult patients (≥18 years) attending the staff clinic. Respondents were selected by simple random sampling method. Diagnosis of MetS was made using the International Diabetes Federation criteria.Results: A total of 342 patients participated in the study. Their mean age was 45.5 (SD, 9.5) years. Females were 233 (68.1%) and males 109 (31.9%). Fifty-three (15.5%) patients were diagnosed for MetS. Means and standard deviations of almost all criteria for MetS were significantly different between patients with and without MetS. A total of 46 (19.7%) females compared to 7 (6.4%) males had MetS and this difference was statistically significant (p<0.01). Age was also an associated factor as 48 (18.9%) participants aged ≥40 years compared to 5 (5.7%) aged <40 years (p<0.01) had MetS. Increased waist circumference (WC), observed in 213 (62.3%) participants was the most frequent and statistically significant contributor to MetS (p<0.01).Conclusions: MetS was present in the study population. Clinical services should be updated for early detection and prompt treatment of the syndrome. Further studies on MetS in different settings are recommended.Key-words: metabolic syndrome, non-communicable diseases, staff clinic, tertiary hospital, Nigeri