Metabolic syndrome (MS) is responsible for the increased cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes. Few studies have focused on MS in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

To describe the clinical, biochemical and therapeutic characteristics of T1DM patients affected by MS.

A retrospective study was carried out. It included 36 patients, suffering from T1DM and MS, hospitalized in the Endocrinology-Diabetology Department of the Hédi Chaker University Hospital of Sfax-Tunisia, from 1997 to 2020. MS was defined according to the NCEP-ATP III criteria.

The mean age of the patients was 53 years. The mean duration of diabetes was 15 years. The MS appeared after a mean duration of diabetes of 13.7 years. Hypertension was reported in 21 patients (58.3%). The mean BMI was 26 kg/m2. The mean total cholesterol level was 4.59 mmol/l ±1.18, and the mean triglycerides level was 1.67 mmol/l ±0.81. The mean HDL-cholesterol level was 0.96 mmol/l ±0.29. In the majority of cases (80%), MS was the combination of dyslipidemia, hypertension and diabetes. Therapeutically, the average dose of insulin used was 0.8 IU/kg/day. The combination of metformin was necessary in 18 cases (50%). Microvascular complications were present in all patients. The cardiovascular risk was very high in all patients.

The prevalence of MS during T1DM is increasing. It indicates an increased risk of micro and macrovascular complications.