MedWire News: People with the metabolic syndrome are at increased risk of stroke, researchers report.

The metabolic syndrome consists of the multiple cardiovascular risk factors high blood pressure, elevated blood glucose levels, obesity, low levels of ‘good’ cholesterol, and high levels of triglycerides, which are a type of ‘bad’ cholesterol.

“More than 47 million individuals in the USA meet the criteria for the metabolic syndrome,” note Dr Bernadette Boden-Albala and colleagues from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, USA.

The researchers monitored 3298 people over a 6.4-year period, more than 44% of whom had the metabolic syndrome.

They found that people who had the metabolic syndrome were 1.5 times more likely to have a stroke than people without the metabolic syndrome.

The increased risk was particularly apparent for women, and for Hispanics compared with Black and White Americans.

Dr Boden-Albala and team estimate that elimination of the metabolic syndrome would result in a 19% reduction in overall stroke, a 30% reduction in women, and 35% reduction among Hispanics.

“The metabolic syndrome constitutes a major public health burden,” say the researchers in the journal Stroke.

“With the obesity epidemic, the impact of the metabolic syndrome is likely to increase. Greater emphasis needs to be placed on the early diagnosis and treatment of patients at risk for vascular disease.”