title: The metabolic syndrome and left ventricular hypertrophy--the influence of gender and physical activity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate associations between the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) as well as the influence of gender and physical activity (PA) in a population-based cross-sectional study of 60-year-old men (n = 1822) and women (n = 2049).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 908 (23.5%) study participants fulfilled the criteria for MetS (54.2% men). Among those, 104 (11.5%) exhibited signs of LVH (60.6% men), compared with 182 (6.1%) among those without MetS (60.4% men). Of the individual factors contained in MetS, hypertension was independently associated with LVH in both men and women (OR = 3.4; 95% CI 2.0-5.8 and 4.4; 2.5-7.8 respectively), whereas waist circumference (OR = 1.6; 95% CI 1.0-2.6), high glucose levels (OR = 1.8; 95% CI 1.1-2.8) and hyperinsulinaemia (OR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.1-2.6) were independently related to risks for LVH exclusively in women. PA did not significantly affect the association.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participants with MetS were at an increased risk of LVH, independently of PA level. Of the various components in MetS, hypertension was most strongly and independently related to LVH in both men and women. In women, abdominal obesity, high glucose levels and hyperinsulinaemia were independently related to LVH, suggesting a gender differences in the mechanisms behind development of LVH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Mats.Halldin@ki.se
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Halldin
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fahlstadius
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: de Faire
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vikström
authors.forename: Mai-Lis
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hellénius
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D055105:Waist Circumference