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. 2015 Dec 9;13:194. doi: 10.1186/s12955-015-0391-5

Table 1.

Different definitions and their cut-offs used to define the metabolic syndrome

World Health Organization (WHO) European Group for the study of Insulin Resistance (EGIR) American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE)
Absolutely required IGTa or IFGb or IRc or diabetes Plasma insulin > 75 percentile of persons without diabetes in the population under study. High risk of being insulin resistant d (excluding diabetes)
Criteria plus two or more of the below abnormalities plus two or more of the four below abnormalities Plus two or more of the four below abnormalities
Adiposity index WHR > 0.90 in men and >0.85 in women and/or BMI > 30 kg/m2 WC ≥ 94 cm in men and ≥80 cm in women none
Triglycerides ≥1.7 mmol/L and/or >2 mmol/L and/or >1.7 mmol/L
HDL <0.9 mmol/L in men and <1.0 mmol/L in women <1.0 mmol/L or treated for dyslipidemia <1.0 mmol/L in men and <1.3 mmol/L in women.
Blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg or treated for hypertension ≥140/90 mmHg or treated for hypertension ≥130/85 mmHg or treated for hypertension
Hyperglycemia none Fasting plasma glocuse ≥ 6.1 mmol/L (but without diabetes) Fasting plasma glucose 6.1–6.9 mmol/L or IGT

BMI, body mass index; WC, waist circumference; IGT, impaired glucose tolerance; IFG, impaired fasting glucose; HDL, high density lipoprotein; WHR, waist to hip ratio a120 min post glucose challenge (75 mg):7.8–11.1 mm/L bFasting plasma glucose 5.6–7.00 mm/L cdefined as plasma insulin > 75 percentile of persons without diabetes in the population under study dFor the AACE definition, high risk of being insulin resistant is indicated by the presence of at least one of the followings: diagnosis of hypertension or cardiovascular disease; family history of type 2 diabetes or history of gestational diabetes or glucose intolerance; BMI > 25 kg/m2 or WC > 94 cm (men), >80 cm (women); age >40 years