title: Asymptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis and metabolic syndrome: the APAC study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. We investigated potential associations between MetS and asymptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis (ICAS) in a general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  The community-based "Asymptomatic Polyvascular Abnormalities in Community Study" examined asymptomatic polyvascular abnormalities in a Chinese population aged 40+ years without history of stroke and coronary heart disease. MetS was defined by the International Diabetes Federation criteria. Asymptomatic ICAS was diagnosed by transcranial color-coded Doppler sonography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 5393 study participants, asymptomatic ICAS was detected in 713 (13.2%) participants, and MetS in 1323 (24.5%) individuals. Prevalence of asymptomatic ICAS increased significantly from 7.5% to 24.2% with increasing number of MetS components. After adjusting for age, gender, physical activity, body mass index, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, MetS was significantly associated with asymptomatic ICAS (OR: 1.50; 95%CI: 1.23,1.83). Compared with the subgroup without MetS, the ORs for asymptomatic ICAS increased (P<0.0001) for each of 5 components of MetS from 1.71 (95%CI: 1.27,2.30), to 2.20 (95%CI: 1.63,2.98), 2.79 (95CI: 2.01,3.88), 3.08 (95%CI: 2.11,4.51) and 4.27 (95%CI: 2.22,8.20).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In multivariate analysis, MetS was an independent and additional factor associated with asymptomatic ICAS. Study participants with 5 MetS components had a 4 times higher risk of asymptomatic ICAS than participants with no MetS component.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Anxin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhaoxia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yanxia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Tangshan People's Hospital, Tangshan, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoxue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiuhua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Kailuan Hospital, Hebei United University, Tangshan, China.
authors.forename: Shouling
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xingquan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty Mannheim of the Ruprecht-Karls-University of Heidelberg, Seegartenklinik Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jost B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Jonas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D008074:Lipoproteins; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002784:Cholesterol