ABSTRACTMetabolic syndrome (MS) is a lifestyle-related condition, and it is linked to the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. There are numerous diagnostic criteria of MS; the most used is the diagnostic criterion according to NCEP-ATPIII. Although studies using body mass index and abdominal circumference have been performed to establish a cutoff point for the diagnosis of MS, there is no general index that establishes a cut-off point for this pathology diagnosis. The objective of this study is to propose a dimensionless index that can discriminate subjects with MS using biochemical variables (HDL, triglycerides) and anthropometric variables (weight, height, waist circumference). Three dimensionless indexes were designed and evaluated from the data obtained from the integration of three databases (n=829 subjects). By means of a simple correspondence analysis of the variables and a dimensional analysis based on the π Vaschy-Buckingham theorem, three dimensionless indexes were constructed: π1, π2 and π3. Performance was assessed using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves. The index π1, constructed with the variables: Abdominal circumference, triglycerides, weight and height; was the one that obtained a better performance as classifier of MS, presenting an area under the ROC curve of 0.86, a sensitivity and specificity greater than 0.7 and an optimum detection point for the diagnosis of MS of π1<104.87. The π1 dimensionless index designed in this study is a simple method, which requires fewer variables than the NCEP-ATPIII criterion, to diagnose MS.Keywords: Dimensional analysis, simple correspondence analysis, theorem π of Vaschy-Buckingham, metabolic syndrome, medical database, ROC curves. RESUMENEl sindrome metabolico (SM) es una condicion relacionada con el estilo de vida, y esta vinculado al desarrollo de la diabetes y de enfermedades cardiovasculares. Existen numerosos criterios de diagnosticos del SM, el mas usado es el criterio de diagnostico segun el NCEP-ATPIII. Aunque se han realizado estudios que usan el indice de masa corporal y la circunferencia abdominal para establecer un punto de corte para el diagnostico del SM, no existe un indice general que establezca un punto de corte para esta patologia. El objetivo de este estudio es proponer un indice adimensional que pueda discriminar sujetos con SM utilizando variables bioquimicas (HDL, trigliceridos) y antropometricas (peso, altura, circunferencia abdominal). Se disenaron y evaluaron tres indices adimensionales a partir de los datos obtenidos de la integracion de tres bases de datos (n=829 sujetos). Mediante un analisis de correspondencia simple de las variables y un analisis dimensional basado en el teorema π de Vaschy-Buckingham se construyeron tres indices adimensionales: π1, π2 y π3. El desempeno fue evaluado usando curvas Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC). El indice π1 construido con las variables: circunferencia abdominal, trigliceridos, peso y altura; fue el que obtuvo un mejor desempeno como clasificador del SM, presentando un area bajo la curva ROC de 0.86, una sensibilidad y especificidad mayor de 0.7 y un punto de deteccion optimo para el diagnostico de SM de π1<104.87. El indice adimensional π1 disenado en este estudio es un metodo simple, que requiere de menos variables que el criterio de la NCEP-ATPIII, para diagnosticar el SM.Palabras clave: Analisis dimensional, analisis de correspondencias simples, teorema π de Vaschy-Buckingham, sindrome metabolico, bases de datos medicas, curvas ROC.