Unmasking heterogeneity in metabolic syndrome in a national sample of disaggregated Asian American subgroups

Background: Our previous research has shown that Asian Americans with a body mass index (BMI) above 23 have a higher risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) than non-Hispanic whites of the same BMI. This exploratory study aimed to characterize patterns of metabolic syndrome heterogeneity across Asian American subgroups. Method: This is a cross-sectional epidemiological study. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we computed age-adjusted, gender-specific prevalence for MetS and its individual components for three BMI categories among five major Asian American ethnic groups: Chinese (652), Filipino (262), Asian Indian (409), Vietnamese (243), and Korean (215). Results: High MetS prevalence was observed in Asian Americans with a BMI above 23 (overweight or obesity). There were notable variations in MetS prevalence rates across Asian subgroups. Among the five Asian subgroups, excessive MetS risks were observed in Asian Indians, Filipinos, Vietnamese, and Koreans in one or more sex/BMI level categories. In particular, among men who had overweight (BMI 23-27.4), Asian Indians had statistically higher rates of MetS than their Vietnamese counterparts (50.80 % vs. 22.66 %). We also found elevated MetS risks in Asian Indian women who had overweight and Korean women who had obesity (BMI ≥27.5). Conclusion: Our findings highlight an urgent need for further research on cardiometabolic risks and mechanisms driving these risks among disaggregated Asian ethnic groups. Greater understanding of these factors is essential for the development of culturally tailored intervention efforts to reduce MetS disparities among diverse Asian ethnic populations in the United States.