A metabolic epidemic? Prevalence and sex-based disparities of metabolic alterations in the peruvian population using multiple diagnostic criteria

Introduction: Metabolic alterations constitute a growing challenge for global public health, with significant implications for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Early identification of these alterations, even from the presence of a single component, is crucial for effectively preventing and managing chronic diseases. Objective: To determine the prevalence of metabolic states based on one or more alterations in the Peruvian population and to evaluate possible sex disparities. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study used data from two Peruvian national databases: Surveillance of Nutritional Indicators by Life Stages (VIANEV) and PERU MIGRANT. Data from 885 adults from VIANEV and 986 participants from PERU MIGRANT with complete information for all study variables were analyzed. Graphs were generated to illustrate metabolic states according to different combinations of diagnostic criteria. Bar charts were created to visualize the individual prevalences of each state. Ordinal logistic regression was employed to examine sex disparities and the outcome. Results: The prevalence of metabolic alterations (at least one alteration) ranged from 87.04% to 87.55%, depending on the criteria used. Significant discrepancies were found in the prevalences of hyperglycemia and abdominal obesity according to the different diagnostic criteria applied. The ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that men had a lower probability of presenting metabolic alterations compared to women, regardless of the diagnostic method used. Conclusions: This study reveals a high prevalence of metabolic alterations in the Peruvian population, with notable variations depending on the diagnostic criteria employed. The observed discrepancies underscore the need to re-evaluate these criteria for the Peruvian population. The identified disparities between sexes suggest the importance of developing differentiated prevention and management strategies.