Existence of Metabolic Syndrome among Medical Students

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome is a growing concern as its incidence is increasing rapidly. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in diabetic Indians is 77%. Medical students lead fairly sedentary lifestyles, due to the exhaustive medical syllabus. Significant time pressures on students may prevent the adoption of a healthy lifestyle. Moreover, their diet is characterized by the frequent consumption of unhealthy food, and therefore the risk of obesity increases significantly. Physical inactivity and stress are the most important risk factors, which can lead to the development of metabolic syndrome. Recently, several studies reported that chronic stress is associated with metabolic syndrome. Early detection of metabolic syndrome and follow-up would help in preventing complications—this chapter aims to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in medical students.