Adult Treatment Panel III 2001 but not International Diabetes Federation 2005 criteria of the metabolic syndrome predict clinical cardiovascular events in subjects who underwent coronary angiography.
OBJECTIVE
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has recently established a worldwide consensus definition of the metabolic syndrome. No prospective data are available on the cardiovascular risk associated with this new metabolic syndrome definition.


METHODS
In a prospective study of 750 coronary patients, we recorded vascular events over 4 years.


RESULTS
From our patients, 37.3% (n = 280) had the metabolic syndrome according to the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATPIII) definition and 45.5% (n = 341) according to the IDF definition. The metabolic syndrome as defined by the ATPIII criteria significantly predicted vascular events (adjusted hazard ratio 1.745 [95% CI 1.255-2.427]; P = 0.001), but the metabolic syndrome as defined by IDF criteria did not (1.189 [0.859-1.646]; P = 0.297). Accordingly, event-free survival was significantly lower among patients who fulfilled the ATPIII but not the IDF criteria than among those who met the IDF but not the ATPIII criteria (P = 0.012). The metabolic syndrome as defined by ATPIII criteria remained significantly predictive of vascular events after adjustment for type 2 diabetes but not after additional adjustment for the metabolic syndrome components high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol. These lipid traits in turn proved significantly predictive of vascular events even after adjustment for the metabolic syndrome.


CONCLUSIONS
The ATPIII definition of the metabolic syndrome confers a significantly higher risk of vascular events than the IDF definition. However, among angiographied coronary patients, even the ATPIII definition of the metabolic syndrome does not provide prognostic information beyond its dyslipidemic features.
Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment, Carinagasse 47, A-6800 Feldkirch, Austria.
Christoph H
CH
Saely
Lorena
L
Koch
Fabian
F
Schmid
Thomas
T
Marte
Stefan
S
Aczel
Peter
P
Langer
Guenter
G
Hoefle
Heinz
H
Drexel
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis