Abdominal obesity and hypertension are correlated with health-related quality of life in Taiwanese adults with metabolic syndrome

Abstract

ObjectiveMetabolic syndrome (MetS) gains more attention due to high prevalence of obesity, diabetes and hypertension among adults. Although obesity, diabetes and hypertension can certainly compromise health-related quality of life (HRQoL), the correlations of sociodemographic factors, quality of life and MetS remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the association between HRQoL and MetS in an Asian community of the sociodemographic characteristics.Research design and methodsWe performed a cross-sectional study by recruiting 2588 Taiwanese patients aged ≥30 years between August 2015 and August 2017. Sociodemographic data and anthropometric variables were obtained from medical records and physical examination. Meanwhile, HRQoL was assessed by 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey questionnaires.ResultsThe overall prevalence of MetS was 32.8%. Multivariate analysis revealed that age ≥65 years (OR=1.987, p<0.001), body mass index (BMI) ≥24 kg/m2 (OR=7.958, p<0.001), low educational level (OR=1.429, p=0.014), bad self-perceived health status (OR=1.315, p=0.01), and betel nut usage (OR=1.457, p=0.048) were associated with the development of MetS. For patients with MetS, the physical and mental health domains of HRQoL are negatively correlated with abdominal obesity and hypertension, respectively.ConclusionsAdult MetS in Taiwan was associated with certain sociodemographic factors including older age, high BMI, low educational level, bad self-perceived health status, and betel nut use. Abdominal obesity and hypertension was correlated with HRQoL in patients with MetS.

Lack of Social Support and Its Role on Self-Perceived Health in a Representative Sample of Spanish Adults. Another Aspect of Gender Inequality

“…A recent study conducted in Colombia by Mendoza-Romero et al showed that low socioeconomic status, measured as level of education, was associated with poorer self-perceived health in women [ 55 ]. The findings of the present study with regard to obesity as a factor for poor self-perceived health, especially in women with low level of education, are in keeping with previous research [ 55 , 56 , 57 ].…”

Association between comorbidity and health-related quality of life in a hypertensive population: a hospital-based study in Bangladesh

“…It was reported widely that presence of metabolic syndrome including diabetes mellitus, obesity and hypertension had a negative influence on HRQoL in various populations [ 27 , 28 ]. However, one previous study differed in terms of showing a similar association [ 29 ].…”

Inverse association between blood ethylene oxide levels and obesity in the general population: NHANES 2013–2016

“…While inverse trends in subgroups remained in these two populations, the differences in the associations between HbEO and the prevalence of abdominal obesity in hypertension and overall obesity in diabetes are consistent with these associations previously reported. Previous studies in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus have demonstrated the phenomenon of the obesity paradox whereby higher BMI in the overweight population is associated with a lower risk of mortality ( 37 ), and patients with HTN are often associated with abdominal obesity due to the lipo-metabolism abnormalities ( 38 , 39 ), which suggested that there might be a common pathway and metabolism disturbance to chronic exposure of EO, while EO exposure through smoking is the major resource in the general population and adult tobacco smokers tend to have lower BMIs and unhealthier diets relative to nonsmokers due to the increased insulin resistance, central fat accumulation, and aberrant lipolysis ( 1 , 40 , 41 ). Although the inverse trend remained in the smoking group, which is in line with our understanding, the current results did not differ between smokers and nonsmokers in the subgroup analysis.…”