Comparison of characteristics measured at CARDIA Y10 (mean age of 35 years) between groups with and without the metabolic syndrome at or before Y10
| Characteristics | Metabolic syndrome present at any time at or before Y10 (n=261) | Metabolic syndrome absent at all times at or before Y10 (n=2258) | p Value |
| Age (in years) | 36.1±3.5 | 35.0±3.6 | <0.001 |
| Male | 53.2% | 44.0% | 0.001 |
| Black race | 52.5% | 43.6% | 0.001 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 35.1±6.5 | 26.2±5.3 | 0.001 |
| Low socioeconomic status | 50.8% | 37.4% | <0.001 |
| Education (in years) | 14.0±2.5 | 15.0±2.5 | 0.001 |
| Self-reported low level of physical activity | 37.1% | 19.0% | <0.001 |
| Never smokers | 59.2% | 62.9% | 0.10 |
| Pack-years | 4.5±7.5 | 3.0±6.1 | 0.003 |
| Family history of diabetes mellitus | 41.3% | 23.5% | <0.001 |
| Baseline FEV1 (in millilitersmL) | 3314±792 | 3477±778 | 0.001 |
| Per cent predicted FEV1 | 93.8±12.6 | 100.0±12.1 | <0.001 |
| Baseline FVC (in millilitersmL) | 4147±1057 | 4338±1019 | 0.005 |
| Per cent predicted FVC | 93.4±13.4 | 97.8±13.5 | <0.001 |
| FEV1/FVC | 0.84±0.2 | 0.83±0.11 | 0.30 |
| Metabolic syndrome | 68.2% | 0% | <0.001 |
| Large waist circumference | 77.8% | 13.3% | <0.001 |
| High plasma triglyceride | 47.7% | 6.8% | <0.001 |
| Low plasma HDL cholesterol | 82.4% | 30.8% | <0.001 |
| Hypertension | 51.0% | 8.0% | <0.001 |
| Elevated serum glucose | 22.2% | 1.0% | <0.001 |
Definitions: metabolic syndrome is defined using the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) criteria at one or more of CARDIA years (0, 2, 5, 7 or 10). Low socioeconomic status is defined by total combined family income of <$35 000 in the prior year. Low level of physical activity was self-reported as level 1 or 22 in a five-item questionnaire that compared individuals with others in the same age and sex. Family history of diabetes mellitus was defined by self-report of presence of diabetes mellitus in any first-degree relative.
CARDIA, Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1s; FVC, forced vital capacity; HDL, high-density lipoprotein.