The importance of diagnostic criteria in the association between the metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease in obese subjects.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether the association between the metabolic syndrome (MS) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in obese adults is influenced by the criteria used to diagnose the MS.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study in 389 obese adults (male/female: 26%/74%; body mass index (BMI): 30.1-63.2 kg/m2; age: 18-79 y).


METHODS
To diagnose the MS by the WHO or the ATPIII criteria, body mass index, waist circumference, fasting and 2-h oral Glucose tolerance test plasma glucose, fasting plasma triglycerides and HDL cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, 24-h albumin excretion, and fasting insulin were measured. The association between the MS diagnosed with either definition and self-referred CVD was investigated.


RESULTS
The prevalence of the MS by the WHO was higher than by the ATPIII criteria (WHO 69.1%, ATPIII 49.4%; P<0.001). The MS diagnosed by the WHO criteria was significantly associated with self-referred CVD (odds ratio (OR) 5.80, 95% CI 1.35-24.95, P<0.05), whereas the ATPIIII MS was not (OR 1.34, 95% CI 0.59-3.03). An elevated blood pressure (OR 5.04, 95% CI 1.41-18.01, P<0.05) and microalbuminuria (OR 2.61, 95% CI 1.06-6.40, P<0.05) were independently associated with CVD. Consideration of the OGTT data as part of the ATPIII MS definition improved its associations with CVD (OR 4.39, 95% CI 1.29-14.94, P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The WHO criteria appear to identify a greater number of obese adults at risk for CVD. Nevertheless, the addition of an OGTT at least in nondiabetic patients with two ATPIII-defined metabolic risk factors may help to improve the association between the MS and CVD in obese adults.
Vidal
J
J
Obesity unit, Hospital Clínic Universitari, Barcelona, Spain. jovidal@clinic.ub.es
Morínigo
R
R
Codoceo
V H
VH
Casamitjana
R
R
Pellitero
S
S
Gomis
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D007328:Insulin; D014280:Triglycerides