Antioxidant status of subjects with Metabolic Syndrome in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Increased free radical production and thus oxidative stress have been implicated in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome. As a result there is depletion of defences against free radical damage which comprise antioxidant enzymes and vitamins like vitamins C and E, resulting in low plasma levels. This study was designed to determine if the plasma total antioxidant status and vitamins C and E levels are lower in metabolic syndrome subjects living in Port Harcourt, Nigeria compared to healthy controls.

One hundred subjects between 21 and 73 years of age who satisfied the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III criteria for metabolic syndrome were recruited into the study. One hundred controls were age- and sex-matched. After determining their blood pressure (mmHg) and waist circumference (cm), the concentrations of plasma glucose (mmol/L), lipid profile (mmol/L), total antioxidant status (TAS, mmol/L), vitamin C (mol/L) and vitamin E (mol/L) were estimated in all participants.

The mean plasma TAS (1.23 ± 0.28mmol/L), vitamin C (27.5 ± 7.4mol/L) and vitamin E (16.9 ± 4.9mol/L) of metabolic syndrome subjects were significantly lower (P=0.0001 for all) than that of controls (1.58 ± 0.28mmol/L, 44.3 ± 7.3mol/ L, 30.8 ± 6.1mol/L respectively).

The TAS, vitamins C and E are reduced in metabolic syndrome subjects compared with that of controls. This may be due to increased oxidative stress resulting from an imbalance between antioxidant defences and increased free radical production.