The prevalence of MS was calculated and compared according to the AUDIT score, frequency of high-risk drinking, and drinking quantity using analysis of variance (ANOVA) test in men and women. The mean AUDIT scores were calculated and compared by ANOVA test according to the number of MS components. Because alcohol consumption may affect HDL cholesterol level (Yoon et al., 2004), we also assessed the association between the mean AUDIT scores and the number of MS components except HDL cholesterol. All analyses were conducted using SPSS statistical software (version 12.0; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). All statistical tests were two sided and a P value of