Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, and Risks to Stroke Survivors

Overweight and obesity add considerable risk to African-American stroke survivors, according to a report in the March 2005 issue of Archives of Neurology.

A group of researchers conducted an analysis of data on participants in the African American Antiplatelet Stroke Prevention Study, a large multicenter trial evaluating the use of aspirin and ticlopidine with more than 1,800 participants.

Researchers collected data on 1,711 participants, who were classified into six categories of body mass index (BMI): underweight (<18.5), normal weight (18.5–24.9), overweight (25–29.9), obese class 1 (30–34.9), obese class 2 (35–39.9), and obese class 3 (≥40). Investigators compared the proportion of subjects with hypertension, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes, as well as those with control of these conditions.

Overall, 76% of participants were overweight or obese. Hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes were noted in 43% of men and 29% of women in the heaviest BMI category. The risk of metabolic syndrome was doubled among the obese participants. In addition, as BMI increased, the likelihood decreased that blood pressure or blood glucose was properly controlled.

The study demonstrates the association of increasing risk factors and decreasing risk-factor control with increasing weight in African-American stroke survivors. This is particularly important in the African-American community, which has a disproportionate prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and other health problems and hence a higher risk of recurrent stroke.