Metabolic syndrome and nutrition in a Granada's tropical coast population

Abstract

Background: The metabolic syndrome (MS) is described as an association of health problems that a given person may simultaneously or successively develop, and it is considered a serious condition because it is related to a significantly increased risk of suffering diabetes, coronary disease and brain damage. Nutrition, along with other factors such as physical activity and genetic inheritance, has an influence on preventing MS. Objective: The aim of this research is to demonstrate important aspects concerning the diagnosis, the prevalence, and the prevention of metabolic syndrome among the population of the tropical coast of Granada. Methods: 119 individuals from the tropical coast of Granada were studied to collect personal data such as their body mass index, body fat percentage, glycaemia, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and food intake (through nutritional survey). Results: As a result of this research, a metabolic syndrome prevalence of 20,2% was obtained, 58,3% of which was related to women. The results obtained show significant statistical differences between individuals having metabolic syndrome and the control group. Particularly, these differences can be noted in parameters such as the BMI or the % of body fat. Nevertheless, there are no significant differences between the two groups concerning parameters related to nutrition such as % of fat, carbohydrates, proteins and kcal/day. Conclusion: As a conclusion from the research, we can state that the metabolic syndrome prevalence among the population of the tropical coast of Granada is similar to the figure obtained for the population in the US and in other areas of Spain. In addition, this research shows that metabolic syndrome is more frequent among individuals whose BMI and % of body fat is higher than 30.

Keywords

• Síndrome metabólico
• Dieta
• Obesidad
• Índice de masa corporal