Association of metabolic syndrome with ischemic heart disease among middle-aged Kaunas population

Liucija Rita Černiauskienė, Regina Rėklaitienė, Dalia Ieva Lukšienė, Stanislava Domarkienė, Abdonas Tamošiūnas, Lilija Margevičienė

Institute of Cardiology, Kaunas University of Medicine, Lithuania

Key words: Metabolic syndrome, central obesity, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, raised blood pressure, ischemic heart disease.

Summary. The aim of the present study was to estimate an association of metabolic syndrome with ischemic heart disease (IHD) in middle-aged Kaunas population.

Material and methods. The epidemiological examination was carried out in Kaunas from 2001 to 2002. Health survey was carried out according to the MONICA study protocol. Analysis was performed in 1336 persons aged 35–64 years (603 men and 733 women). Metabolic syndrome was defined by the presence of three or more out of five components: central obesity (waist circumference >102/88 cm (men/women)); fasting plasma glucose ≥6.1 mmol/l; triglycerides ≥1.7 mmol/l; high density lipoprotein cholesterol <1.04/1.3 mmol/l (men/women); systolic/diastolic blood pressure ≥130 and/or 85 mmHg. IHD was diagnosed by the criteria: previous myocardial infarction, angina pectoris or ischemic changes of electrocardiogram.

Results. In the study population cohort prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 19.4% for men and 26.3% for women, prevalence of IHD – 14.3% and 19.4%, respectively. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and IHD among men and women increased with age. Comparing prevalence of metabolic syndrome among persons with IHD and without IHD, in the groups of men and women aged 35–44 years metabolic syndrome was not associated with IHD; in the group of men with IHD aged 45–64 years rate of metabolic syndrome was 1.8 times higher than among persons without IHD (odds ratio: 2.25 (95% CI 1.24–4.06)); in the group of women with IHD aged 45–64 years the rate of metabolic syndrome was marginally higher (1.3 times) than among women without IHD (odds ratio: 1.55 (95% CI 0.99–2.43)). The highest rate of metabolic syndrome was determined for men diagnosed with angina pectoris (odds ratio: 3.39 (95% CI 1.36–8.41)).

In conclusion, study data showed that metabolic syndrome was associated with IHD in men aged 45–64 years.

Correspondence to L. R. Černiauskienė, Institute of Cardiology, Kaunas University of Medicine, Sukilėlių 17, 50161 Kaunas, Lithuania. E-mail: klbioch@kmu.lt

Received 10 December 2004, accepted 16 May 2005