title: Metabolic syndrome may not associate with carotid plaque in subjects with optimal, normal, or high-normal blood pressure.
abstract: Much evidence indicates that metabolic syndrome is a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease, but whether metabolic syndrome is an independent risk factor for early atherosclerosis in the individuals with only minor hemodynamic abnormalities, if any, is not well investigated. Here we have investigated the association between metabolic syndrome and carotid atherosclerosis in individuals with blood pressure of <140/90 mm Hg. Between 1994 and 2003, 8143 subjects underwent general health screening including carotid ultrasonography. Of 8143 individuals, 5661 individuals without antihypertensive medications who had blood pressure of <140/90 mm Hg were considered to have optimal, normal, or high-normal blood pressure. After adjustment for age, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, and smoking status, metabolic syndrome was not found to be an independent risk factor for carotid plaque (odds ratio: 1.65; 95% CI; 0.72 to 3.76 in women and odds ratio: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.70 to 1.28 in men) or for carotid intima-media thickening (odds ratio: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.18 to 1.72 in women and odds ratio: 0.93 95% CI: 0.62 to 1.38 in men) in these subjects. Thus, presence of metabolic syndrome may not increase the prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis independent of other cardiovascular risk factors in Japanese individuals with optimal, normal, or high-normal blood pressure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Hongo 7-3-1 Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan. nobuishizka-tky@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Nobukazu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishizaka
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishizaka
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Ei-Ichi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Toda
authors.forename: Ryozo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamakado
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose