Components of the metabolic syndrome and lifestyle factors in Japanese male workers.

The aim of this study was to examine the relation of lifestyles to components of the metabolic syndrome in Japanese male workers. The associations of six lifestyle factors with each of the components of the metabolic syndrome, as defined by the modified International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria for Japanese people, were evaluated in 4941 men at a workplace participating in the annual health examination; the subjects ranged in age from 36 to 60 years. The overall prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in the male workers was 9.1%. The odds ratios (ORs; 95% confidence interval) of three components of the metabolic syndrome such as high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, and glucose intolerance in body mass index (BMI) less than 25 were 0.51 (0.44, 0.59), 0.40 (0.35, 0.46), and 0.55 (0.45, 0.66), respectively. In contrast, eating breakfast everyday, not snacking frequently, and sleeping 6 hours or more did not relate to the occurrence of any components of the metabolic syndrome.