Background: Metabolic syndrome is a clustering of interrelated risk factors which doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease and increases the risk of type 2 diabetes five folds. The characterization of the risk factors and identification of predictors of MetS is necessary in order to identify individuals who may benefit from early interventions. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome as defined by the harmonized criteria and its predictors in an urban population in The Gambia. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study conducted at Kanifing General Hospital, Kanifing Municipality. Data obtained from each participants included anthropometric indices, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein levels, and clinical information. Results: A total of 136 participants were included in the analysis. The overall prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 64.0%. The most predominant component among the study population was central obesity (72.8%), followed by elevated FPG (69.9%). Hypertriglyceridemia was the strongest predictor of MetS among our participants (OR: 369.6; 95% CI: 45.85-2979.20; p
Key words: Metabolic syndrome, Prevalence, Predictor, The Gambia.
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