Epidemiology and factor analysis of obesity, type II diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia (syndrome X) on the Island of Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia

OBJECTIVES: Obesity, type II diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia are major causes of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Though these disorders often cluster in individuals and families and are collectively known as syndrome X, the basis for this aggregation is not well understood. To further understand the pathogenesis of syndrome X, a comprehensive epidemiological study was undertaken on the Pacific Island of Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). METHODS: The entire adult (>20 years of age) population of Kosrae underwent a clinical evaluation that included a questionnaire that noted the participants' sex, family data including listing of biological parents, siblings, and children, smoking status, village of residence, age and health status. The medical evaluation included: anthropometric measures (weight, height, waist, hip), serum chemistries (leptin, fasting blood sugar (FBS), insulin, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and apolipoproteins B and A-I (apo B and apo A-I) and blood pressure (BP) measurements. RESULTS: Obesity (BMI >/=35) was found in 24%, diabetes (FBS >/=126 or 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test >/=200) in 12%, hypertension (SBP >/=140 or DBP >/=90) in 17%, and dyslipidemia (TC >/=240 or TG >/=200 or apo B >/=120 or apo A-I