DOC News February 1, 2005
Volume 2 Number 2 p. 22
© 2005 American Diabetes Association
Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors
It's known that the prevalence of metabolic syndrome—a group of signs
including abdominal obesity, hypertension, high lipids, and insulin
resistance—is increasing in the U.S. Among all the ways of assessing
which patients are at risk of developing metabolic syndrome, the most
important are body mass index (BMI) and weight gain, according to a new
report.
A group of investigators from Northwestern University in Chicago, the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the University of Colorado Health
Sciences Center, and Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Oakland,
Calif., sought to determine whether there are any demographic characteristics
that might identify metabolic syndrome risk factors that could be modified,
for example, by lifestyle
changes.
Investigators studied subjects in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in
Young Adults (CARDIA) study, involving 4,192 males and females between the
ages of 18 and 30 years who were examined 6 times between the baseline period
of 1985–1987 and 2000–2001.
The characteristics analyzed in the study include educational level, BMI,
physical activity score, smoking status, alcohol intake, energy from
carbohydrates, energy from total fat, crude fiber, changes in weight and
physical activity over time, and components of metabolic syndrome such as
waist circumference, blood glucose level, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides,
and blood pressure measurement.
During an average of 13.6 years of follow-up, 575 participants developed
metabolic syndrome. The syndrome was more common in blacks than whites, and
was highest among black women. Analysis of the patient characteristics
revealed that weight gain and a lack of regular physical activity over
time—both of which can be modified by the patient—were strongly
implicated as risk factors for metabolic syndrome.
Carnethon MR, Loria CM, Hill JO, Sidney S, Savage PJ, Liu
K: Risk factors for the metabolic syndrome: the Coronary Artery Risk
Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, 1985–2001.
Diabetes Care 27:2707–2715, 2004.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
CiteULike 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati What's this?
