Behavior Change and Health News
Metabolic Syndrome Foretells Diabetes in Elderly
A British study reveals that metabolic syndrome can increase the risk of diabetes in the elderly. However, having metabolic syndrome does not increase the risk for cardiovascular disease in the population.
Metabolic syndrome is characterized by the presence of three of the following health problems: elevated blood sugar levels, high blood pressure, large waist circumference, decreased levels of HDL cholesterol, and high levels of triglycerides in the blood.
The University of Glasgow study dispelled the myth that all people with metabolic syndrome are at a higher risk for both diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Over 4,800 nondiabetics participated in the Prospective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk (PROSPER). Participants were between the ages of 70 and 82. Researchers at the University of Glasgow also used data from over 2,700 nondiabetic men who participated in the British Regional Heart Study (BRHS). Those participants were between the ages of 60 and 79.
During the PROSPER study, the researchers discovered that more than 700 cases of cardiovascular disease and more than 280 cases of diabetes developed in over three years. Although there was no association between cardiovascular disease development and metabolic syndrome, people with metabolic syndrome were four times more likely to get diabetes than those without metabolic syndrome.
From the BRHS study, 440 people had cardiovascular disease and 105 had diabetes. In this study, the presence of a metabolic risk posed a 27 percent increase in risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Also, participants in this study were seven times as likely to develop diabetes if they also had metabolic syndrome.
Researchers discovered that although all five parts of metabolic syndrome correlate with the risk of developing diabetes, only two (high blood pressure and decreased levels of HDL cholesterol) are associated with the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
The authors concluded, “Metabolic syndrome and its components are associated with type 2 diabetes but have weak or no association with vascular risk in elderly populations, suggesting that attempts to define criteria that simultaneously predict risk for both cardiovascular disease and diabetes are unhelpful.” The authors recommended that experts establish optimal and separate risk factors for each disease rather than have combined criteria.
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Source:
HealthDay. May 21, 2008. Metabolic syndrome foretells diabetes in elderly .
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