Table 1.

A summary of the definitions of the metabolic syndrome

	NCEP 2004 [18]	NCEP 2001 [19]	WHO [20]	EGIR [22]	IDF [21]
Number of criteria	Three or more of:	Three or more of:	And two or more of:	And two or more of:	And two or more of:
Obesity	WC ≥ 102 cm (men), WC ≥ 88 cm (women)	WC ≥ 102 cm (men), WC ≥ 88 cm (women)	BMI > 30 and/or WHR > 0.9 (men), WHR > 0.85 (women)	WC ≥ 94 cm (men, WC ≥ 80 cm (women)	WC ≥ 94 cm men, WC ≥ 80 cm women*
Hypertension (mmHg)	≥ 130/85**	≥ 130/85**	≥ 140/90	≥ 140/90**	≥ 130/85**
Dyslipidaemia: HDL-C (mmol/L)	< 1.0 (men), < 1.3 (women)**	< 1.0 (men), < 1.3 (women)**	< 0.9 (men) < 1.0 (women) or	< 1.0**	< 1.0 (men) < 1.3 (women)**
TG (mmol/L)	≥ 1.7**	≥ 1.7**	≥ 1.7	> 2.0**	> 1.7**
Glucose intolerance or fasting plasma glucose (mmol/L)	≥ 5.6**	≥ 6.1**	≥ 6.1, DM, IGT, IR	≥ 6.1 (excludes diabetics) Insulin in top 25%	≥ 5.6**
Albumin/creatinine ratio (mg/L)	N/A	N/A	≥ 30	N/A	N/A

Text in bold italics: prerequisite for diagnosis, in addition to the number of other criteria needed to be met. ** or treated for abnormality, * cut-off values differ according to ethnic origin.

BMI = body mass index; DM = diabetes mellitus; EGIR = European Group against Insulin Resistance; HDL-C = high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol; IDF = International Diabetes Federation; IGT = impaired glucose tolerance; IR = insulin resistance; N/A = not applicable;NCEP = National Cholesterol Education Programme; TG = triglyceride; WC = waist circumference; WHO = World Health Organization; WHR = waist hip ratio.