Introduction: Metabolic syndrome ( MetS ) is a combination of risk markers that appear to promote the development of chronic disease. We examined the burden of MetS in Canada through its current and projected association with chronic disease.

Methods: We used measures from the Canadian Health Measures Survey 2007–2009 to identify the prevalence of MetS in Canadian adults and examine associations between sociodemographic factors and major chronic diseases. We estimated the projected cumulative incidence of diabetes and percent risk of a fatal cardiovascular event using the Diabetes Population Risk Tool (DPoRT) and Framingham algorithms.

Results: After adjusting for age, we found that 14.9% of Canadian adults had MetS . Rates were similar in both sexes, but higher in those who are non-Caucasian or overweight or obese (p < .001 for all three). The importance of MetS for public health was demonstrated by its significant association with chronic disease relative to the general population, particularly for diagnosed (11.2% vs. 3.4%) and undiagnosed (6.0% vs. 1.1%) type 2 diabetes. The ten-year incidence estimate for diabetes and mean percent risk of a fatal cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) event were higher in those with MetS compared to those without (18.0% vs. 7.1% for diabetes, and 4.1% vs. 0.8% for CVD ).

Conclusion: MetS is prevalent in Canadian adults and a high proportion of individuals with MetS have diagnosed or undiagnosed chronic conditions. Projection estimates for the incidence of chronic disease associated with MetS demonstrate higher rates in individuals with this condition. Thus, MetS may be a relevant risk factor in the development of chronic disease.