Background and purpose: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors, considered as emerging and promoting atherosclerosis. This study aimed at the evaluation of the influence of MetS on the prediction of cerebro and cardiovascular events during a 20 years follow-up period in an asymptomatic population of middle-aged subjects.
Methods: We evaluated 529 asymptomatic persons through a prospective study. Study population was divided into two subgroups: patients with and without MetS. Echo-color-Doppler was used in order to assess the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis. A 20 years follow-up study was carried out in order to estimate the incidence of cerebro and cardiovascular, fatal and non fatal, events (AMI, stroke, abdominal aortic aneurysm, TIA, angina pectoris).
Results: 242 cerebro and cardiovascular events were registered, 43 fatal (24 in MetS and 19 in controls) and 199 non fatal (120 with MetS and 79 without it, p < 0.0001). Free-events survival was lower in patients suffering from MetS (p < 0.0012; HR 0.6847; C.I.95%: 0.5274-0.8889). Ultrasound showed a higher prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with MetS than in the unaffected ones (68.12% vs. 57.5% p < 0.01; OR = 1.58 with C.I.95% = 1.10-2.28, p < 0.01).
Conclusions: Patients with MetS have a higher cardiovascular risk that can be explained by atherosclerotic changes: the components of MetS interact to affect vascular thickness synergistically and promote the development of subclinical atherosclerosis. So we recommend to prevent the development of MetS abnormalities and to investigate the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis by echo-color-Doppler in order to stratify more accurately the global CV risk.
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