Prevalence and risk factors for metabolic syndrome in Medellin and surrounding municipalities, Colombia, 2008-2010.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the prevalence of and risk factors for metabolic syndrome (MetS) among adults 25-64 years of age from Medellin and surrounding municipalities, Colombia. METHOD: We used 2008-2010 data from the Antioquia STEPwise approach to Surveillance (STEPS), a multi-stage complex cross-sectional survey designed according to World Health Organization guidelines. The revised 2005 International Diabetes Federation definition of MetS was used. RESULTS: There were a total of 3000 participants. Of these, 21.4% had high blood pressure (HBP) and 64% had abdominal obesity (AO). In the subsample with serum data (n = 943), 19.8% had high fasting serum glucose, 43.9% had high triglycerides (HTG), and 56.6% had low HDL cholesterol (L-HDL). Among those with data to define MetS (n = 901), 41% had MetS. Older age was associated with MetS and all components except L-HDL. Female sex [odds ratio (OR) = 2.85, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.20-3.70], being married (OR = 1.40, CI: 1.09-1.82), and high physical activity (OR = 0.59, CI: 0.39-0.91) were associated with AO, smoking with HTG (OR = 1.76, CI: 1.16-2.67) and L-HDL (OR = 1.67, CI: 1.10-2.51) and rural residence with HBP (OR = 3.42, CI: 1.83-6.37) and L-HDL (OR = 1.18, CI: 1.10-2.51). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MetS and AO was high in this Colombian region. Targeted strategies for promoting healthy behaviors are needed.

Antibiotic resistance and plasmid pattern of enterotoxigenic ST-a strains of Escherichia coli isolated in Puebla, México.

Antibiotic susceptibilities of 22 strains of Escherichia coli isolated from children from 0 to 3 years old at the University Hospital of Puebla were determined. Almost all strains were resistant to ampicillin, tetracycline, streptomycin, and kanamycin. Gel electrophoresis of DNA from 10 clinical strains of E. coli revealed a heterogeneous plasmid population. Plasmid DNA, ranging in molecular mass from 1.8 to 120 megadaltons, was demonstrated in 10 strains. Moreover, the frequency of antibiotic transfer ranged from 1.6/10(8) to 2/10, and the simultaneous transfer of the gene encoding heat-stable enterotoxin was also determined. Six out of 10 strains tested were able to cotransfer ST-a as demonstrated by the suckling mouse test. It is possible that antibiotic selective pressure may increase the isolation of enterotoxigenic E. coli strains.