BACKGROUND: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome varies widely by ethnicity and by the criteria used
in its definition.
OBJECTIVE: To identify the optimal cutoff values for waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and
body mass index (BMI) for identifying metabolic syndrome among the Saudi population.
DESIGN: Nationwide household cross-sectional population-based survey.
SETTING: Thirteen health sectors in Saudi Arabia.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We used data for subjects in the Saudi Abnormal Glucose Metabolism and