“The Linosa Study”: Epidemiological and heritability data of the metabolic syndrome in a Caucasian genetic isolate

Abstract Background and aims Growing evidence suggests that the metabolic syndrome (MetS) has both a genetic and environmental basis. To evaluate the possibility of a further genetic analysis, we estimated prevalence rates and heritabilities for the MetS and its individual traits in the adult population of Linosa, a small and isolated Italian Island in the southern-central part of the Mediterranean Sea. Methods and results The Linosa Study (LiS) group consisted of 293 Caucasian native subjects from 51 families (123 parents; 170 offsprings). The MetS was defined according to NCEP/ATP III criteria and the following prevalence rates were calculated: hyperglycaemia 20.3%; central obesity 34.9%;…

40(th) EASD Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes : Munich, Germany, 5-9 September 2004