The metabolic syndrome in a Congolese population and its implications for metabolic syndrome definitions.

AIM: Metabolic syndrome defined by International cut-off values are limited to detect people at high cardiometabolic risk in Central Africans in comparison with metabolic syndrome defined by ethnic-specific definition. We examined the relationship between metabolic syndromes, diabetes control, abdominal obesity, HDL-cholesterol groups and atherosclerotic complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A representative sample of type-2 diabetic central Africans from Kinshasa were studied. Outcome measures included control of diabetes, atherosclerosis, abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, metabolic syndromes and atherosclerosis. RESULTS: Of 1266 type-2 diabetic patients (48.8%), (61.8%), (27.1%) and (81%) had uncontrolled diabetes, atherosclerotics, metabolic syndrome (IDF/Europe), and metabolic syndrome (IDF/local) respectively. There was a significant U-shaped relationship between atherosclerotics complications, insulin resistance, delta postprandial glycaemia and HDL-cholesterol stratification. There was also a significant U-shaped relationship between cardiometabolic risk (P<0.01) and atherosclerotic complications. CONCLUSION: Type-2 diabetic Central Africans exhibit very high rates of uncontrolled diabetes, atherosclerotic complications and metabolic syndrome. Both, abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, low and very high HDL-cholesterol levels are cardiometabolic risk factors.

Classification and dramatic epidemic of diabetes mellitus in Kinshasa Hinterland: the prominent role of type 2 diabetes and lifestyle changes among Africans.

BACKGROUND: Classification of diabetes mellitus is not easily stated in Central Africa using the current diabetes classification of World Health Organization/American Diabetes Association. The objective of the study is to determine the prevalence, classification and risk factors of diabetes mellitus in Kinshasa Hinterland. METHODS: A multilevel and stratified random sample cross-sectional study included 9770 black Africans (4580 men and 5190 women) aged 12 years and above in urban metropolitan (Kinshasa city) and rural (Kikwit) areas. Participants were examined and administered a structured questionnaire and a capillary whole blood glucose test was done. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 46 +/- 15 years. Overall crude and age adjusted prevalences of diabetes were 25% (n = 2472) and 18%, respectively. Using WHO/ADA classification, Type diabetes (80%) was commoner than undetermined form (12%), Type 1B (3.5%), Type 1A (2.5%) and Other specific types (2%). According to plasma insulin and plasma C-peptide levels, participants with undetermined form were classified Type 2 diabetics. Thus, the rate of Type 2 diabetes among diabetics was estimated 92%. Urban location, age, abdominal obesity arterial hypertension, physical inactivity, inappropriate diet (lack of fruits-vegetables, refined sugar, animal fat and protein, starvation, social inequalities, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake were significantly and positively associated with diabetes in general and type 2 diabetes in particular. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of diabetes is due to the unexpected high rates of type 2 diabetes, aging, urbanization, and sedentary lifestyle consequences. The majority of risk factors of diabetes are potentially modifiable by primary prevention.

Survey of abdominal obesities in an adult urban population of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of overweight/obesity, which is an important cardiovascular risk factor, is rapidly increasing worldwide. Abdominal obesity, a fundamental component of the metabolic syndrome, is not defined by appropriate cutoff points for sub-Saharan Africa. OBJECTIVE: To provide baseline and reference data on the anthropometry/body composition and the prevalence rates of obesity types and levels in the adult urban population of Kinshasa, DRC, Central Africa. METHODS: During this cross-sectional study carried out within a random sample of adults in Kinshasa town, body mass index, waist circumference and fatty mass were measured using standard methods. Their reference and local thresholds (cut-off points) were compared with those of WHO, NCEP and IFD to define the types and levels of obesity in the population. RESULTS: From this sample of 11 511 subjects (5 676 men and 5 835 women), the men presented with similar body mass index and fatty mass values to those of the women, but higher waist measurements. The international thresholds overestimated the prevalence of denutrition, but underscored that of general and abdominal obesity. The two types of obesity were more prevalent among women than men when using both international and local thresholds. Body mass index was negatively associated with age; but abdominal obesity was more frequent before 20 years of age and between 40 and 60 years old. Local thresholds of body mass index ( > or = 23, > or = 27 and > or = 30 kg/m(2)) and waist measurement ( > or = 80, > or = 90 and > or = 94 cm) defined epidemic rates of overweight/general obesity (52%) and abdominal obesity (40.9%). The threshold of waist circumference > or = 94 cm (90th percentile) corresponding to the threshold of the body mass index > or = 30 kg/m(2) (90th percentile) was proposed as the specific threshold of definition of the metabolic syndrome, without reference to gender, for the cities of sub-Saharan Africa. CONCLUSION: Further studies are required to define the optimal threshold of waist circumference in rural settings. The present local cut-off points of body mass index and waist circumference could be appropriate for the identification of Africans at risk of obesity-related disorders, and indicate the need to implement interventions to reverse increasing levels of obesity.