Nearly 40 percent of adults in the United States meet the criteria for metabolic syndrome, according to a recent study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). While overall national rates have remained steady over the past decade, researchers found significant increases among older adults and non-Hispanic Black individuals.
The study analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) covering adults aged 20 years or older between 2013 and August 2023. Researchers defined metabolic syndrome as having at least three out of five cardiovascular risk factors: high triglyceride levels, hypertension, elevated fasting plasma glucose or diabetes, large waist circumference, or low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
From a sample of 11,570 adults, the weighted prevalence of metabolic syndrome was found to be 38.7 percent. Although there was an increase from 35.4 percent to 38.5 percent between the earliest and latest survey cycles, this change was not statistically significant.
A notable trend emerged with hypertriglyceridemia—a component of metabolic syndrome—which decreased from 23.7 percent in 2013–14 to 20 percent in 2017–20 before rising again to 25.1 percent by 2021–23.
The most pronounced changes were seen in specific subgroups. Among adults aged 60 years or older, prevalence rose significantly from just over half (50.2 percent) in 2013–14 to nearly two-thirds (62.4 percent) by 2021–23. Non-Hispanic Black individuals also experienced a significant increase during this period.
No major differences were observed by sex or poverty income ratio, and fluctuations in some subgroups may be due to limited statistical robustness given declining survey response rates—from nearly seventy percent down to about twenty-six percent across survey cycles.
Researchers note that disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may have played a role in these trends through effects on diet, physical activity, medication adherence, and access to preventive care.
"Sustained efforts to improve lifestyle factors, continuity of care, and preventive management remain critical to reducing cardiovascular risk, particularly in vulnerable populations," authors concluded.
Limitations of the study include its cross-sectional design and decreasing participation rates over time—factors that prevent causal conclusions but highlight areas where prevention efforts could be focused more intensely.
