Síndrome metabólica em hipertensos de Cuiabá - MT: prevalência e fatores associados

background: metabolic syndrome (ms) is a cluster of predisposing factors for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus, whose epidemiological characteristics are poorly known at regional and national levels. objective: to estimate the prevalence of ms and its associated factors in a sample of patients with high blood pressure in the urban area of cuiabá, mato grosso state. methods: this was a cross-sectional study (may to november 2007) in a sample of 120 patients with high blood pressure (aged > 20 years), paired by gender and selected by the systematic sampling of a source population of 567 patients with high blood pressure in cuiabá. all patients answered to home inquiries to provide sociodemographic and life habits data. the following measurements were taken: blood pressure; body mass index (bmi); waist and hip circumferences; plasma glucose, insulin, and lipid levels; homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (homa); c-reactive protein, uric acid and fibrinogen levels. high blood pressure criterion: average systolic blood pressure > 140mmhg and/or diastolic blood pressure > 90mmhg; and metabolic syndrome diagnosis according to the i brazilian directive for metabolic syndrome and the ncep-atp iii criteria. results: 120 patients (60 women), with high blood pressure and an average age of 58.3 ± 12.6 years, were analyzed. we found a ms prevalence of 70.8% (95%ci 61.8 to 78.8), predominantly among women (81.7% vs. 60.0%; p=0.009), with no difference between adults (71.4%) and elderly patients (70.2%). the multiple regression analysis showed a positive association between ms and bmi > 25 kg/m2, insulin resistance and family history of high blood pressure. conclusion: a high prevalence of ms was observed among patients with high blood pressure living in cuiabá, with a significant association with bmi > 25 kg/m2, insulin resistance (homa index) and, especially, a family history of high blood pressure. these results suggest the need for deeper studie