Subjects with higher IL-18 concentrations were more likely to be males and alcohol drinkers, and had higher prevalence of MetS, elevated levels of BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose, HbA1c, insulin, HOMA-IR and triglycerides, and lower concentrations of HDL cholesterol (all P<0.05, Table 1). This evidence concerns the gene IL18 and metabolic syndrome.