Health Reports
A Canadian peer-reviewed journal of population health and health services research
September 2025
Metabolic syndrome in Canadian adults, 2007 to 2019
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a clustering of multiple risk factors, including abdominal obesity (or high waist circumference), elevated triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, high fasting blood glucose, and high blood pressure. MetS is an important contributor to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Research indicates that MetS doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease and increases the risk of diabetes fivefold. The prevalence of MetS has been on the rise among adults, posing a global public health concern. A recent meta-analysis in the general population of adults has indicated that the global prevalence of MetS varied from 12.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 10.2% to 15.0%) to 31.4% (95% CI: 29.8% to 33.0%) according to the definition considered.
Full article PDF versionMetabolic health and body mass index phenotypes in adults
About one in four Canadian adults has a body mass index (BMI) indicative of obesity. Obesity is a chronic complex disease defined by excessive adiposity that can impair health. It is associated with reduced life expectancy; increased morbidity, including cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD); and high health care costs. Obesity is also associated with increased risk for CVD risk factors, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. These CVD risk factors result from impaired metabolic health, which is commonly defined as increased triglycerides, reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), abdominal obesity, and elevated blood pressure (BP) or elevated fasting glucose. Impaired metabolic health, in turn, is associated with increased risk of morbidity, including coronary heart disease, cancer, ocular diseases, and fatty liver disease.
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Metabolic health and body mass index phenotypes in adults
- Colley RC, Bushnik T, Barnes J. The health consequences of obesity history and weight fluctuations in adulthood. Health Reports. 2025; 36(2) DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.25318/82-003-x202500200002-eng
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