title: Metabolic syndrome less strongly associated with target organ damage than syndrome components in a healthy, working population.
abstract: The authors investigated the associations between target organ damage and individual components of the metabolic syndrome (MS) compared with the MS itself. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), carotid plaque, and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) were assessed by ultrasonography in 356 participants who were free of overt cardiovascular disease. Participants with the MS (n=33) had higher LVMI and carotid IMT than those without the MS (n=323), but the percentage of patients who had carotid plaque was similar. Individually, each component of the MS was significantly associated with the 3 measures of target organ damage. In bivariate and multivariate analyses, the association of clinic systolic blood pressure to both LVMI and carotid IMT and the negative association of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol with carotid plaque were stronger than and independent of the MS. The data suggest that physicians should evaluate blood pressure and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol as well as other cardiovascular risk factors without regard to whether a patient meets the criteria for the MS.
authors.affiliation: Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health and Hypertension Program, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA. ke2126@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: Joseph E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Mary J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Roman
authors.forename: Richard B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Devereux
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gerin
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Pickering
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004452:Echocardiography; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012107:Research Design; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL