Syndrome Predicts Heart Disease in Healthy Adults
 (New Orleans, Reuters Health, 11/8/04)

Dr. Kwame Akosah of the Gundersen Lutheran Health System in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and team, checked for signs of metabolic syndrome in 246 adults, who were judged to be at low risk for heart disease. Metabolic syndrome is a condition defined by the presence of at least 3 of the following symptoms: hypertension, elevated blood sugar, high triglycerides, low levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol and abdominal obesity. Using these criteria, the investigators determined that 75 of the subjects had the syndrome. Then, using ultrasound scans, the researchers found that three-quarters of those affected had the beginnings of a clogged carotid artery. These findings indicate that middle-aged adults who have metabolic syndrome are likely to have clogged arteries, even if they do not show obvious signs of heart disease.

In a related study, Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones of Northwestern University in Chicago analyzed statistics gathered from 2,400 adults over the course of 20 years and found that people who gained at least 15 pounds over 15 years were much more likely to develop metabolic syndrome than those who maintained a stable weight.