|
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with an increased risk of the
subsequent development of cardiovascular disease or stroke. Moreover, a
silent brain infarction (SBI) can predict clinical overt stroke or dementia.
We examined the associations between SBI and MetS in apparently healthy
individuals.
METHODS:
We evaluated 1588 neurologically healthy subjects (927 males and 661
females) who underwent brain MRI at Seoul National University Hospital
Healthcare System Gangnam Center. MetS was defined using the criteria of the
National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. We
examined associations between full syndrome (>/=3 of the 5 conditions) as
well as its components and SBI by controlling possible confounders.
RESULTS:
Eighty-eight (5.5%) were found to have >/=1 SBI on MRI. Age was found to be
significantly related to SBI prevalence (odds ratio [OR], 1.06; 95% CI, 1.04
to 1.09). A history of coronary artery disease was associated with an
elevated odds ratio of SBI (OR, 2.83; 95% CI, 1.38 to 5.82), and MetS was
significantly associated with SBI (OR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.38 to 3.44). The
components model of MetS showed a strong significance between an elevated
blood pressure (OR, 3.75; 95% CI, 2.05 to 6.85) and an impaired fasting
glucose (OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.08 to 2.80) and the risk of SBI.
CONCLUSIONS:
MetS was found to be significantly associated with SBI. This finding has
clinical utility in terms of identifying healthy people at increased risk of
developing SBI. |