Sex differences for predicting metabolic syndrome by adipose dysfunction markers in institutionalized elderly

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Metabolic Health
• Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Background:

• Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a significant modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in institutionalized elderly.
• Higher MetS prevalence is observed with longer institutionalization periods in this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the predictive capability of adipose tissue dysfunction markers for early MetS screening in institutionalized older adults.
• To investigate gender-specific differences in the predictive value of these markers.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 211 institutionalized older adults (mean age ~73 years).
• Assessment of Lipid Accumulation Product (LAP), Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI), Body Adiposity Index (BAI), and triglycerides (TG)/high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol ratio.
• Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to compare the predictive accuracy of each index.

Main Results:

• The overall prevalence of MetS was 23.8%.
• In females, VAI and TG/HDL ratio demonstrated moderate-to-high sensitivity and specificity for MetS prediction.
• In males, LAP showed moderate-to-high sensitivity and specificity for MetS prediction.

Conclusions:

• Gender significantly influences the prediction of MetS using adipose dysfunction markers in institutionalized elderly.
• VAI and TG/HDL-cholesterol ratio are the strongest predictors of MetS in elderly women.
• LAP is the most effective predictor of MetS in elderly men.