NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - More than one-fifth of US adults--roughly 47 million Americans--are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and death, an analysis of national medical data reveals.

According to the report, 22% of adults aged 20 to 79 had at least three symptoms that characterize metabolic syndrome, a condition associated with an elevated risk of diabetes and heart disease. These symptoms include abdominal obesity or a thick waist, elevated blood fats known as triglycerides, low levels of HDL (''good'') cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood sugar.

The results, published in the January 16th issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, point to a possible increase in healthcare costs in the coming years if Americans fail to address their burgeoning rates of overweight and obesity through diet and exercise, according to researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

``Studies...have found that (individuals) who adopted healthier lifestyle approaches for weight control and physical activity were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than participants who did not,'' Dr. Earl Ford, the study's lead author, told Reuters Health.

Ford and colleagues suggest that reimbursement for weight control and physical activity interventions could help to put adults on the right track.

The study included nearly 9,000 men and women living in US communities between 1988 and 1994. Not surprisingly, metabolic syndrome was more prevalent in older people: nearly 7% of individuals aged 20 to 29 had the condition compared with nearly 44% of those age 60 to 69.

Among ethnic groups, Mexican Americans were the most likely to develop metabolic syndrome. About 32% of all Mexican Americans were diagnosed with the syndrome and women were more likely to develop it than men. Similarly, African-American women were 57% more likely than African-American men to be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, according to the report.

``Overweight and obese individuals with the metabolic syndrome have to find some appropriate way that works for them to reduce their energy intake,'' Ford said in an interview.

SOURCE: The Journal of the American Medical Association 2002;287:356-359.

Reference Source 89

For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use
PreventDisease.com's "Quick Prevention Resources".