Prevalence rates and costs of metabolic syndrome and associated risk factors using employees' integrated laboratory data and health care claims.

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed the relative value of using laboratory, claims, or integrated laboratory-claims data to identify prevalence rates and costs of metabolic syndrome among Chevron Texaco Corporation, San Ramon, California, employees.

METHODS

This study identified five metabolic syndrome risk factors by using three identification methods: (1) health-screening data, applying the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III and World Health Organization definitions; (2) employer-based claims data applying proxy International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision definitions; and (3) integrated laboratory-claims data. Prevalence rates and costs of metabolic syndrome and associated risk factors were estimated.

RESULTS

Laboratory-defined and claims-defined approaches underestimated metabolic syndrome prevalence rates compared with the integrated approach by 22.9% and 87.5%, respectively. Employees with metabolic syndrome had double the costs of those without any risk factors ($4603 vs $1859; P = 0.0384).

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that integrating laboratory and claims data is a more balanced approach than either approach alone for identifying metabolic syndrome among Chevron employees.