Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in psychiatric inpatients in a tertiary care centre in north India.

characterized by central obesity, dyslipidaemia, abnormal glucose tolerance and hypertension1. Its pathophysiology remains obscure but it has been hypothesized to involve insulin resistance and a proinflammatory state2,3. A survey on MS in the United States reported the prevalence at 24 per cent in adults, and found the cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality to be increased in men and risk of coronary disease increased in women4. Hu et al5 demonstrated that men with MS are 2-4 times more likely to die of any cause than those without MS, even after adjustment for conventional risk factors. Thus, considering the potential risks of MS, its public health importance is immense. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in psychiatric inpatients in a tertiary care centre in north India