Table 1 Baseline Characteristics of Participants with metabolic syndrome in NHANES 1999–2002

Age (years), Mean ± SD

58.0 ± 16.5

65.2 ± 14.0

57.6 ± 15.6

51.1 ± 16.6

Age group, n (%)

<45 years

434 (21.9)

60 (9.1)

142 (21.5)

232 (35.2)

45–64 years

775 (39.1)

232 (35.2)

272 (41.2)

271 (41.1)

≥ 65 years

771 (38.9)

368 (55.8)

246 (37.3)

157 (23.8)

Gender, n (%)

 Female

1009 (51.0)

307 (46.5)

329 (49.8)

373 (56.5)

 Male

971 (49.0)

353 (53.5)

331 (50.2)

287 (43.5)

Height (cm), Mean ± SD

167.2 ± 10.3

166.8 ± 10.3

167.2 ± 10.5

167.5 ± 10.1

Weight(kg), Mean ± SD

86.8 ± 19.8

84.5 ± 19.0

88.0 ± 20.9

87.9 ± 19.2

BMI(kg/m²), Mean ± SD

31.0 ± 5.9

30.2 ± 5.5

31.4 ± 6.3

31.3 ± 5.9

Race, n (%)

 Mexican American

438 (22.1)

151 (22.9)

162 (24.5)

125 (18.9)

 Non-Hispanic Black

335 (16.9)

90 (13.6)

110 (16.7)

135 (20.5)

 Non-Hispanic White

1075 (54.3)

384 (58.2)

350 (53)

341 (51.7)

 Other Hispanic

87 ( 4.4)

24 (3.6)

24 (3.6)

39 (5.9)

 Other Race - Including Multi-Racial

45 ( 2.3)

11 (1.7)

14 (2.1)

20 (3)

Marital status, n (%)

 Single

  147 ( 7.4)

22 (3.3)

44 (6.7)

81 (12.3)

 Married

1249 (63.1)

421 (63.8)

427 (64.7)

401 (60.8)

 Divorced or separated or widowed

584 (29.5)

217 (32.9)

189 (28.6)

178 (27)

Education, n (%)

 College Graduate or above

351 (17.7)

103 (15.6)

124 (18.8)

124 (18.8)

 High School Grad/GED or Equivalent

475 (24.0)

149 (22.6)

152 (23)

174 (26.4)

 less than high school

691 (34.9)

277 (42)

216 (32.7)

198 (30)

 Some College or AA degree

463 (23.4)

131 (19.8)

168 (25.5)

164 (24.8)

Alcohol user, n (%)

 former

483 (24.4)

184 (27.9)

162 (24.5)

137 (20.8)

 heavy

324 (16.4)

74 (11.2)

103 (15.6)

147 (22.3)

 mild

646 (32.6)

222 (33.6)

228 (34.5)

196 (29.7)

 moderate

209 (10.6)

65 (9.8)

73 (11.1)

71 (10.8)

 never

318 (16.1)

115 (17.4)

94 (14.2)

109 (16.5)

smoking, n (%)

 former

704 (35.6)

266 (40.3)

249 (37.7)

189 (28.6)

 never

958 (48.4)

305 (46.2)

307 (46.5)

346 (52.4)

 now

318 (16.1)

89 (13.5)

104 (15.8)

125 (18.9)

Annual family income, n (%)

 $0 to $19,999

644 (32.5)

264 (40)

182 (27.6)

198 (30)

 $20,000 to $34,999

488 (24.6)

156 (23.6)

184 (27.9)

148 (22.4)

 $35,000 to $54,999

327 (16.5)

95 (14.4)

111 (16.8)

121 (18.3)

 more than $55,000

521 (26.3)

145 (22)

183 (27.7)

193 (29.2)

Telomere Length (BP), Mean ± SD

5593.1 ± 591.4

5018.5 ± 202.4

5515.8 ± 131.2

6245.0 ± 479.6

Telomere T/S, Mean ± SD

1.0 ± 0.2

0.7 ± 0.1

0.9 ± 0.1

1.2 ± 0.2

Anemia, n (%)

 Mild

90 ( 4.5)

31 (4.7)

30 (4.5)

29 (4.4)

 Moderate

30 ( 1.5)

11 (1.7)

11 (1.7)

8 (1.2)

 Non-Aemia

1859 (93.9)

618 (93.6)

619 (93.8)

622 (94.2)

 Severe

1 ( 0.1)

0 (0)

0 (0)

1 (0.2)

Asthma, n (%)

 no

1696 (85.7)

571 (86.5)

558 (84.5)

567 (85.9)

 yes

284 (14.3)

89 (13.5)

102 (15.5)

93 (14.1)

Chronic kidney disease, n (%)

 no

1463 (73.9)

435 (65.9)

491 (74.4)

537 (81.4)

 yes

517 (26.1)

225 (34.1)

169 (25.6)

123 (18.6)

Angina, n (%)

 no

1871 (94.5)

617 (93.5)

624 (94.5)

630 (95.5)

 yes

109 ( 5.5)

43 (6.5)

36 (5.5)

30 (4.5)

Heart attack, n (%)

 no

1868 (94.3)

603 (91.4)

631 (95.6)

634 (96.1)

 yes

112 ( 5.7)

57 (8.6)

29 (4.4)

26 (3.9)

Congestive heart failure, n (%)

 no

1895 (95.7)

623 (94.4)

632 (95.8)

640 (97)

 yes

85 ( 4.3)

37 (5.6)

28 (4.2)

20 (3)

COPD, n (%)

 no

1918 (96.9)

628 (95.2)

645 (97.7)

645 (97.7)

 yes

62 ( 3.1)

32 (4.8)

15 (2.3)

15 (2.3)

Coronary heart disease, n (%)

 no

1873 (94.6)

619 (93.8)

623 (94.4)

631 (95.6)

 yes

107 ( 5.4)

41 (6.2)

37 (5.6)

29 (4.4)

DM, n (%)

 DM

436 (23.1)

160 (24.7)

150 (23.7)

126 (20.9)

 IFG

205 (10.9)

73 (11.2)

69 (10.9)

63 (10.4)

 no

1244 (66.0)

416 (64.1)

414 (65.4)

414 (68.7)

Hypertension, n (%)

 no

601 (30.4)

165 (25)

201 (30.5)

235 (35.6)

 yes

1379 (69.6)

495 (75)

459 (69.5)

425 (64.4)

Hyperlipidemia, n (%)

 no

291 (14.7)

100 (15.2)

86 (13)

105 (15.9)

 yes

1689 (85.3)

560 (84.8)

574 (87)

555 (84.1)

stroke, n (%)

 no

1905 (96.2)

629 (95.3)

632 (95.8)

644 (97.6)

 yes

75 ( 3.8)

31 (4.7)

28 (4.2)

16 (2.4)

Cancer, n (%)

 no

1741 (87.9)

561 (85)

582 (88.2)

598 (90.6)

 yes

239 (12.1)

99 (15)

78 (11.8)

62 (9.4)

All-cause mortality, n (%)

 Alive

1161 (58.6)

281 (42.6)

415 (62.9)

465 (70.5)

 Dead

819 (41.4)

379 (57.4)

245 (37.1)

195 (29.5)

Death cause, n (%)

 Accidents

25 ( 3.1)

7 (1.8)

5 (2)

13 (6.7)

 Alzheimer’s disease

34 ( 4.2)

18 (4.7)

6 (2.4)

10 (5.1)

 Cerebrovascular diseases

44 ( 5.4)

24 (6.3)

13 (5.3)

7 (3.6)

 Chronic lower respiratory diseases

33 ( 4.0)

15 (4)

10 (4.1)

8 (4.1)

 Diabetes mellitus

33 ( 4.0)

11 (2.9)

10 (4.1)

12 (6.2)

 Cardiovascular disease

231 (28.2)

108 (28.5)

71 (29)

52 (26.7)

 Influenza and pneumonia

11 ( 1.3)

8 (2.1)

3 (1.2)

0 (0)

 Cancer

183 (22.3)

81 (21.4)

55 (22.4)

47 (24.1)

 Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis

12 ( 1.5)

7 (1.8)

2 (0.8)

3 (1.5)

 All other causes (residual)

213 (26.0)

100 (26.4)

70 (28.6)

43 (22.1)

Follow time, Mean ± SD

15.3 ± 5.4

13.8 ± 6.1

15.6 ± 5.2

16.6 ± 4.3