Environmental and dietary exposures to acrylamide (AA) have been linked with various metabolic-related outcomes, but the results are mixed. However, the association between long-term exposure to AA and the prevalence of
metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains unknown. In this study, we aimed to assess the relationship between
hemoglobin adducts of AA,
biomarkers of internal exposure to AA, and MetS prevalence among a U.S. nationwide population. MetS patients were defined by meeting three or more of the following five characteristics: elevated
blood pressure, high fasting
glucose,
abdominal obesity,
hypertriglyceridemia, and lower
high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Multivariate-adjusted logistic regression models and restricted cubic spline models were used to analyze the associations between AA
hemoglobin biomarkers and MetS prevalence. A total of 1552 MetS cases were documented. After adjustment for the potential confounders, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of MetS prevalence in the highest quartile of AA
hemoglobin biomarkers were 0.60 (0.40-0.89), 1.26 (0.84-1.89), 0.93 (0.71-1.21), and 1.61 (1.18-2.20) for
HbAA, HbGA, the sum of
HbAA and HbGA (
HbAA + HbGA), and the ratio of HbGA to
HbAA (HbGA/
HbAA), compared with the lowest quartile, respectively.
HbAA was significantly and inversely associated with blood pressure, fasting
glucose,
abdominal obesity,
hypertriglyceridemia, and low HDL-C, while the HbGA/
HbAA ratio was also positively associated with
abdominal obesity,
hypertriglyceridemia, and low HDL-C. The restricted cubic spline models revealed a positive relationship between the HbGA/
HbAA ratio and the prevalence of MetS, while the
HbAA level was inversely associated with MetS prevalence. Our current findings provided epidemiological evidence that
HbAA and the HbGA/
HbAA ratio were significantly associated with MetS prevalence among general U.S. adults. Further studies should be conducted to examine the association between internal exposure to AA and MetS prevalence.