Impaired fasting glucose and metabolic syndrome in an Indigenous Siberian population

Objectives: This study investigated the lifestyle and anthropometric correlates of impaired fasting glucose and the presence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among an Indigenous high-latitude herding population from north-eastern Siberia. Study design: Cross-sectional study of Yakut (Sakha) adult volunteers. Methods: We collected health, lifestyle and anthropometric data among 166 Yakut adults (≥18 years old; 101 females, 65 males) from the rural village of Tyungyulyu (62°N, 130°E; population 2,500), Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia. Measurements of fasting glucose, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure and waist circumference were used to document the presence of MetS based on the updated Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III definition. Results: Metabolic syndrome was relatively uncommon among study participants, with only 10% of participants classified as having MetS, including 8% of females and 12% of males. Elevated blood pressure and low HDL cholesterol were the most common features of MetS in Yakut men and women, while elevated fasting glucose and high triglycerides were uncommon in both sexes. Relatively low mean fasting glucose concentrations were documented among Yakut women (4.46±0.65 mmol/L) and men (4.41±0.76 mmol/L); no participants were classified as diabetic. Conclusions: Fasting glucose and MetS are at relatively low levels in this population; however, rising rates of obesity are likely to lead to future increases in MetS and impaired fasting glucose in this population. Further, increasing consumption of market foods, many high in refined sugars, is likely to contribute to an increased presence of impaired fasting glucose and MetS.