Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify metabolic syndrome risk factors of visually impaired people who joined the health examination in a hospital in Northern Taiwan. Method: A diet and lifestyle questionnaire survey, anthropometric measurements and blood biochemistry analysis were conducted among the visually impaired people. Results: The prevalence of overweight/obesity of all visually impaired people (n=54) was 44.4% (n=24), and 48.4% (n =15) and 39.1% (n =9) for men and woman. According the official definition of metabolic syndrome of the Ministry of Health, Taiwan, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome of all visually impaired people was 22.2%, and 25.8% and 17.4% for men and woman. Visually impaired people with metabolic syndrome had higher waist circumference, systolic/diastolic blood pressure, glucose level, triglyceride level, total cholesterol level and less high density lipoprotein value than people without metabolic syndrome. Men had significant higher waist circumference (88.0±11.6 vs. 78.1±9.9 cm), systolic blood pressure (137.6±22.6 vs. 121.1±19.5 mmHg) and uric acid than women (6.3±1.6 vs. 4.8±1.2 mg/dL), while women had higher HDL-C than men (54.8±12.5 vs. 47.2±11.1 mg/dL). No significant differences were found in the items of diet and lifestyle questionnaire except that men had significantly higher alcohol (p =0.02) and smoking consumption (p=0.01) than women. Conclusion: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in visually impaired people was 22.2%. Being man was a risk factor for metabolic syndrome in visually impaired people, and men had significantly higher smoking and alcohol consumption than women in this population.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify metabolic syndrome risk factors of visually impaired people who joined the health examination in a hospital in Northern Taiwan. Method: A diet and lifestyle questionnaire survey, anthropometric measurements and blood biochemistry analysis were conducted among the visually impaired people. Results: The prevalence of overweight/obesity of all visually impaired people (n=54) was 44.4% (n=24), and 48.4% (n =15) and 39.1% (n =9) for men and woman. According the official definition of metabolic syndrome of the Ministry of Health, Taiwan, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome of all visually impaired people was 22.2%, and 25.8% and 17.4% for men and woman. Visually impaired people with metabolic syndrome had higher waist circumference, systolic/diastolic blood pressure, glucose level, triglyceride level, total cholesterol level and less high density lipoprotein value than people without metabolic syndrome. Men had significant higher waist circumference (88.0±11.6 vs. 78.1±9.9 cm), systolic blood pressure (137.6±22.6 vs. 121.1±19.5 mmHg) and uric acid than women (6.3±1.6 vs. 4.8±1.2 mg/dL), while women had higher HDL-C than men (54.8±12.5 vs. 47.2±11.1 mg/dL). No significant differences were found in the items of diet and lifestyle questionnaire except that men had significantly higher alcohol (p =0.02) and smoking consumption (p=0.01) than women. Conclusion: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in visually impaired people was 22.2%. Being man was a risk factor for metabolic syndrome in visually impaired people, and men had significantly higher smoking and alcohol consumption than women in this population.