Comunicaciones e-póster

https://doi.org/10.37527/2021.71.S1

PO 249. METABOLIC SYNDROME AND INTESTINAL PARASITES COEXIST IN A SEMI-URBAN CUBAN POPULATION

Héctor Hernández Hernández1, Félix Manuel Rosado1, María Elena Díaz1, Luis Enrique Jerez2, Clémentine Roucher3, Katja Polman3.

1Instituto Nacional de Higiene, Epidemiología y Microbiología, La Habana, Cuba, 2Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Pedro Kourí”, La Habana, Cuba, 3Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.


Antecedents and objective. Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) results from overweight and other metabolic imbalances coexistence, and is increasing globally. Some intestinal parasites could be involved in MetS etiopathogenesis presumably through gut microbiome modifications. Therefore, potential relationships between MetS and intestinal parasitic infections should be studied. The objectives of our study were to evaluate the prevalences of MetS and intestinal parasitic infection and describe their relations in a semi-urban population of Havana.

Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 302 adults (mean age 52.2 ± 16.5 years). Several measurements were assessed including anthropometry (weight, height, body mass index, waist circumference), arterial blood pressure, biochemical variables (glucose, triglycerides, cholesterols. total, HDL, and LDL), and parasitic infection (by direct examination, Kato Katz, and Willis methods). MetS was diagnosed according to the International Diabetes Federation criteria.

Results. MetS prevalence was 35.1% (95% CI. 28.8–41.2). Proportions of overweight, dyslipidemia and increased waist circumference were high. LDL-c was the metabolic marker with the highest frequency of vascular risk values (38.3%). The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection was 31.5%. Protozoa infections (30.1%) were more frequent than helminth infections (1.7%). Parasitized individuals and those with mixed protozoa infection had higher frequencies of MetS than individuals non-parasitized or infected with a single protozoan, respectively.

Conclusion. This study finds a high prevalence of MetS and a low prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection. Intestinal parasites and mixed protozoa infections are positively related to MetS. Other factors associated with an increase in MetS and related metabolic imbalances, along with the potential influence of some intestinal parasites, should be analyzed in-depth in this community and similar others.

Keywords: metabolic syndrome, intestinal parasites, semi-urban community, overweight, dyslipidemia, increased waist circumference.