David G Ingram1. 1. School of Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO 65212, United States.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To determine whether the metabolic syndrome is a discrete diagnostic category or the end of a continuum. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 3959 individuals from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004. The taxometric methods of mean above minus mean below a cut (MAMBAC) and maximum covariance (MAXCOV) were used. The primary numerical outcome was the comparative curve fit index (CCFI). RESULTS: For men, the CCFI from MAMBAC and MAXCOV analyses were 0.290 and 0.260, respectively. Likewise, for women, the CCFI from MAMBAC and MAXCOV analyses were 0.317 and 0.311, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the metabolic syndrome is continuously distributed in nature, rather than a discrete diagnostic category.
PURPOSE: To determine whether the metabolic syndrome is a discrete diagnostic category or the end of a continuum. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 3959 individuals from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004. The taxometric methods of mean above minus mean below a cut (MAMBAC) and maximum covariance (MAXCOV) were used. The primary numerical outcome was the comparative curve fit index (CCFI). RESULTS: For men, the CCFI from MAMBAC and MAXCOV analyses were 0.290 and 0.260, respectively. Likewise, for women, the CCFI from MAMBAC and MAXCOV analyses were 0.317 and 0.311, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the metabolic syndrome is continuously distributed in nature, rather than a discrete diagnostic category.