The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, using the ATP-III criteria described in Table 2.6, increases with age (Figure 2.10) and has been estimated at 23.7% of the adult population, or 47 million U.S. adults (Ford et al. 2002). The prevalence increases with age, rising from 6.7% in those aged 20-29 years to 43.5% in those aged 60-69 years, and 42% in people older than 70 years.