Individuals With Metabolic Syndrome At Risk of Dying From Heart Disease

New research reveals why certain people are at an increased risk of dying from heart disease. The study shows individuals who have three or more traits of metabolic syndrome have a 3.5-times higher risk of dying from a heart problem.

Metabolic syndrome is a group of metabolic risk factors including excessive fat tissue in and around the abdomen, blood-fat disorders, insulin resistance or glucose intolerance, and high-normal blood pressure. Generally, the causes of this syndrome include obesity, physical inactivity and genetics.

Researchers conducted a study to examine the impact of metabolic syndrome on coronary heart disease. For the study, researchers reviewed data from 6,255 patients who were part of a survey from 1976 to 1980. They looked at who died and the cause of death over an average of 13 years. The participants were men and women between 30 and 75 years old. 26 percent of the participants had metabolic syndrome and 19.8 percent had a previous cardiovascular problem. The remaining 54 percent did not have metabolic syndrome, diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

It was observed that those participants with one or two metabolic syndrome factors had a risk of dying from heart disease that was twice as high as those with no factors. The risk increased with each additional metabolic syndrome factor reported. Researchers also say the highest risk was found with the participants who had metabolic syndrome factors, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.