Metabolic Syndrome Calculator

📋 How to use this calculator

1. Select your sex, since the waist circumference threshold differs: men >=40 in (102 cm), women >=35 in (88 cm) under the NCEP ATP III criteria.
2. Enter waist circumference in inches or centimeters, measured midway between the lower rib and the iliac crest after a normal exhale.
3. Enter triglycerides (mg/dL) and HDL cholesterol (mg/dL) from a fasting lipid panel (9-12 hours fasting).
4. Enter systolic and diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) as the average of two readings taken 5 minutes apart.
5. Enter fasting blood glucose (mg/dL); if you already have a type 2 diabetes diagnosis or take glucose-lowering medication, still check the criterion as positive.
6. Review results on the continuous severity score tab to monitor subtle changes over time even before you meet 3 criteria.
7. Compare with the 10-year cardiovascular risk tab and apply the per-criterion intervention targets it suggests.

🧮 NCEP ATP III Criteria (2005 Revision) for Metabolic Syndrome

• Waist circumference: men >=40 in (102 cm), women >=35 in (88 cm) for general U.S. population; lower cutoffs (men >=90 cm, women >=80 cm) for individuals of South/East Asian descent
• Triglycerides >=150 mg/dL or on lipid-lowering therapy
• HDL <40 mg/dL in men or <50 mg/dL in women
• Blood pressure >=130/85 mmHg or on antihypertensive therapy
• Fasting glucose >=100 mg/dL or established type 2 diabetes

The continuous severity score (MetS-Z) uses a z-score regression of the 5 components calibrated by race and sex (Gurka 2014); a score >=1.0 corresponds to roughly a 4-6x increase in diabetes risk.

💡 Worked example: 45-year-old man with central obesity

Result: Metabolic syndrome diagnosed (5/5 criteria). The 10-year risk of type 2 diabetes is roughly 5x higher and cardiovascular disease risk roughly 2x higher than without MetS.

❓ Frequently asked questions

📚 Sources & references

• Harmonizing the Metabolic Syndrome: A Joint Interim Statement — Circulation (AHA/IDF/NHLBI)
• Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group — New England Journal of Medicine
• About Metabolic Syndrome — American Heart Association