A new study finds middle-aged men with
the metabolic syndrome are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease
and death.
Metabolic syndrome is characterized as
having high blood pressure, blood lipid abnormalities, obesity, increased
abdominal fat, high blood sugar levels, and insulin resistance.
Researchers of the study used current definitions of the metabolic
syndrome from the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) and the
World Health Organization (WHO) to evaluate the possible connection of
heart disease and death from the metabolic syndrome. Researchers say,
"To our knowledge, this is the first prospective population-based
cohort study reporting the association of the metabolic syndrome using
recently proposed definitions with cardiovascular and overall
mortality."
In the study, researchers followed 1,209
men ages 42 to 60, free from heart disease, cancer or diabetes, for more
than 11 years to assess the link between the metabolic syndrome and heart
disease and death. Depending on the NCEP or WHO definitions of the
metabolic syndrome, 8 percent to 14 percent of participants had the
metabolic syndrome. During the study there were 109 deaths. Of those, 46
deaths were caused by cardiovascular disease and 27 were caused by
coronary heart disease.
Researchers found that men with the
metabolic syndrome, as defined by the WHO, were 2.9 to 3.3 times more
likely to die from coronary heart disease. Men with the metabolic
syndrome, as defined by the NCEP, were 2.9 to 4.2 times more likely to die
from coronary heart disease. They also found that the metabolic syndrome
as defined by the WHO, was linked to a 2.6 to 3.0 greater risk for death
from cardiovascular disease.
Researchers say, "The threat to
public health posed by the metabolic syndrome will continue to grow as the
metabolic syndrome becomes more common. Early identification, treatment,
and prevention of the metabolic syndrome presents a major challenge for
physicians and public health policy makers facing an epidemic of
overweight and sedentary lifestyle."
Source: Ivanhoe Newswire: Journal
of the American Medical Association, 2002;288:2709-2716.
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