The association between metabolic syndrome and clinical severity of knee osteoarthritis in older adults
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study investigated the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS), its individual components, and the clinical severity of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in older adults. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 414 patients aged ≥ 60 years old who were diagnosed with KOA according to the 1986 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) clinical and radiographic criteria at the University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City from September 2024 to May 2025. Metabolic syndrome was defined based on the 2009 AHA/NHLBI criteria. Pain intensity and functional impairment were assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). The prevalence of MetS was 63.5%. In univariate analyses, MetS was associated with higher VAS and WOMAC scores. However, after multivariable adjustment, MetS was no longer independently associated with the clinical severity of KOA. Among the components of MetS, waist circumference was the only factor that remained independently associated with both VAS and WOMAC scores. These findings suggest that central obesity plays a more prominent role than MetS as a whole in the clinical severity of KOA in older adults.
Article Details
Keywords
Metabolic syndrome, knee osteoarthritis, older adults, VAS, WOMAC
References
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