A new study presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2023 has shown that adults in their 40s and 50s who have three or more unhealthy traits, including high blood pressure, high blood glucose, high waist circumference, or high cholesterol, have heart attacks and strokes two years earlier than others in their age range.
The study included nearly 35,000 adults in Sweden who attended a cardiovascular screening program between 1990 and 1999. The screening included a variety of measurements as well as questions about lifestyle. After the screening, participants were considered to have metabolic syndrome if they had three or more of the following unhealthy traits: a waist circumference greater than or equal to 102 cm for men and 88 cm for women, total cholesterol at or above 6.1 mmol/l, systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 130 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 85 mm Hg, and fasting plasma glucose at or above 5.6 mmol/l. Half of the participants had metabolic syndrome, and the other half were controls with similar traits and no metabolic syndrome. Participants were followed-up with for a median of 27 years and monitored for cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes, as well as all-cause mortality.
The results showed that participants who had metabolic syndrome were about 30% more likely to die during the follow-up period than participants who did not have metabolic syndrome. Additionally, those with metabolic syndrome had a 35% higher chance of having a heart attack or stroke than those who did not have metabolic syndrome. Notably, participants with metabolic syndrome also tended to have heart attacks or strokes 2.3 years sooner than participants without metabolic syndrome. These results point to the importance of detecting and preventing risk factors early before they compound and become metabolic syndrome.
Sources: ESC Congress 2023, Science Daily
