Metabolic syndrome as an underlying disease entity and its relationship to subclinical atherosclerosis in Andean Hispanics.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The question of whether the metabolic syndrome truly reflects a single disease entity with a common underlying pathology remains unclear. In this study, we assess whether metabolic syndrome represents an underlying disease construct in a large population-based sample of Andean Hispanic adults and examine its relationship to subclinical atherosclerosis.

METHODS:

The study sample was comprised of 2513 participants. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to identify a metabolic syndrome latent factor using waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TGs), and glucose levels as indicators. The relationship with subclinical atherosclerosis, measured by carotid intima media thickness (cIMT), was assessed using structural equation modeling.

RESULTS:

Results supported the proposed structure of the metabolic syndrome latent factor evidenced by adequate fit indexes. HDL-C did not significantly load on the metabolic syndrome latent factor (standardized factor loading=0.01, P=0.88). The metabolic syndrome latent factor was significantly associated with cIMT in women (B=0.007, P<0.001) and men (B=0.008, P<0.001) after controlling for age, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and smoking.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our findings suggest that metabolic syndrome components, such as waist circumference, blood pressure, TGs, and glucose levels, but not HDL-C, share a common underlying pathophysiology that may contribute to the progression of atherosclerosis in Andean Hispanics. Its longitudinal association with cardiovascular disease should be the focus of future research.

• Authors: Diana A Chirinos, Josefina Medina-Lezama, William Arguelles, Ronald Goldberg, Neil Schneiderman, Zubair Khan, Oscar O Morey, Muhammad Waheed Raja, Roberto Paz, Julio A Chirinos, Maria M Llabre, Prevencion Investigators
• Journal: Metabolic syndrome and related disorders (Metab Syndr Relat Disord) Vol. 12 Issue 1 Pg. 49-55 (Feb 2014) ISSN: 1557-8518 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24206171 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Blood Glucose
• Cholesterol, HDL
• Triglycerides

Topics

• Adult
• Atherosclerosis (complications, diagnosis, ethnology)
• Blood Glucose (analysis)
• Blood Pressure
• Carotid Intima-Media Thickness
• Cholesterol, HDL (metabolism)
• Diastole
• Disease Progression
• Factor Analysis, Statistical
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Metabolic Syndrome (complications, diagnosis, ethnology)
• Middle Aged
• Peru (ethnology)
• Regression Analysis
• Systole
• Triglycerides (metabolism)
• Waist Circumference