{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T07:01:29Z","timestamp":1790146889459,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790121600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Metabolic syndrome (MetS) refers to a constellation of cardiometabolic risk factors that increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). This study estimated the prevalence of MetS and its associated factors in young adults in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      This was a cross-sectional study. We collected data from participants aged 18\u201340\u202fyears in the UAE Healthy Future Study (\n                      <jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f5,050). Demographic and health information was collected through self-reported questionnaires. Anthropometric data and blood pressure measurements were taken, and blood samples were collected for subsequent biochemical analyses.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>According to the harmonized criteria, the overall prevalence of MetS was 22.4% (95% confidence interval: 21.2\u201323.5%). MetS was more prevalent in men (26.1%) than in women (16.7%). Elevated blood pressure (40%) was the most prevalent component of MetS, followed by abdominal obesity (39%) and reduced HDL-c (37%). Approximately 7% of the participants had all five components of MetS. Significant risk factors for MetS in the studied cohort included male sex, older age, being married, and a lower level of education.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>MetS was highly prevalent in our young study population, affecting approximately one in four young Emiratis. Population-based control strategies that focus on a healthy lifestyle, including physical activity and a healthy diet, are strongly recommended to decrease the future burden of T2DM and cardiovascular diseases.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1868692","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T06:17:42Z","timestamp":1790144262000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Metabolic syndrome among adults aged 18\u201340 years in the United Arab Emirates: prevalence and associated factors using harmonized criteria"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Shamma","family":"AlMuhairi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University","place":["Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates"]},{"name":"Tawam Hospital, Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), Al Ain, United Arab Emirates","place":["Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aminu S.","family":"Abdullahi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University","place":["Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fatma","family":"Al-Maskari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University","place":["Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates"]},{"name":"Zayed Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University","place":["Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luai A.","family":"Ahmed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University","place":["Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates"]},{"name":"Zayed Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University","place":["Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Raghib","family":"Ali","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Public Health Research Center, New York University Abu Dhabi","place":["Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Javaid","family":"Nauman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University","place":["Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates"]},{"name":"Zayed Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University","place":["Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates"]},{"name":"Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology","place":["Trondheim, Norway"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Syed M.","family":"Shah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University","place":["Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates"]},{"name":"Zayed Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University","place":["Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","volume-title":"GLOBAL STATUS REPORT on Noncommunicable Diseases 2014 World Health Organization WHO","year":"2014"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1650","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJM199806043382302","article-title":"Association between multiple cardiovascular risk factors and atherosclerosis in children and young adults. 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