≥3 of the following components: WC ≥ 88 cm; Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus self-reported diagnosis at ≥ 30 years at baseline; HTN self-reported diagnosis plus diuretics or hypertensive medication use at baseline; cholesterol self-reported diagnosis of high cholesterol and cholesterol-lowering medication at baseline.
Combined presence of diabetes, drug-treated HTN, drug-treated hyperlipidemia (as a proxy indicator of elevated triglycerides and reduced HDL-C), and WC ≥ 88 cm or BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 when WC was missing.
Pharmacological definition: patients who chronically received antihypertensive, glucose-lowering, and lipid modifying drugs.
Notes. BMI: body mass index; BP: blood pressure; HDL-C: high density lipoprotein cholesterol; HTN: hypertension; WC: waist circumference; IDF: International Diabetes Federation; NCEP ATP III: National Cholesterol Education Program’s Adult Treatment Panel III; NHLBI: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; WHO: World Health Organization.