Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome Among Adults in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of cardiometabolic risk factors, such as insulin resistance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, that is associated with a significantly higher risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The westernization of life and demographic transition in Saudi Arabia have brought about a high incidence of MetS. The main objective of this study is to determine the pooled prevalence of MetS among healthy Saudi adults through a systematic review and meta-analysis. We searched electronic databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar) for articles issued between 2000 and 2025 containing data on the prevalence of MetS in healthy Saudi adults using International Diabetes Federation, Adult Treatment Panel III, or World Health Organization definitions of MetS. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and used the Joanna Briggs Institute tool to assess risk of bias. Cooperating writer principles and the inverse-variance model were used to calculate relative effects, with common-effect subgroup analysis according to age, sex, area of residence, and diagnostic criteria for MetS. The main outcomes from this study are that 17 articles met the inclusion criteria and seven were included in the meta-data synthesizer. The overall MetS prevalence was not significant (0.954, 95% confidence interval: 0.898-1.010) and had high heterogeneity (I2 = 96.6%). The figure varied considerably depending on the diagnostic criteria and population studied. One large study contributed substantially to the overall weight. In summary, MetS is quite common in adults throughout Saudi Arabia. This varies according to the definition used and population. Sensible diagnostic criteria for MetS require development.