Relation of metabolic syndrome with long-term mortality in acute and stable coronary disease

Past studies examining the effects of the metabolic syndrome (MS) on prognosis in postangiography patients were limited in size or were controversial in results. The aim of the study was to examine the association of the MS and the risk for long-term mortality in a large cohort of patients undergoing coronary angiography for various clinical indications. Medical history, physical examination, and laboratory values were used to diagnose patients with the MS. Cox regression models were used to analyze the effect of MS on long-term all-cause mortality. We prospectively recruited 3,525 consecutive patients with a mean age of 66 ± 22 years (range 24 to 97) and 72% men. Thirty percent of the cohort had MS. Patients with MS were more likely to have advanced coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndrome (p <0.001). Patients with MS had more abnormalities in their metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers regardless of their clinical presentation. A total of 495 deaths occurred during a mean follow-up period of 1,614 ± 709 days (median 1,780, interquartile range 1,030 to 2,178). MS was associated with an increased risk of death in the general cohort (hazard ratio [HR] 1.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01 to 1.56, p = 0.02). MS had a significant effect on mortality in stable patients (HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.18, p = 0.01), whereas it did not have a significant effect on mortality in patients with acute coronary syndrome (HR 1.11, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.44, p = 0.42). In conclusion, MS is associated with increased mortality in postangiography patients. Its adverse outcome is mainly seen in patients with stable angina.