Association between Metabolic Syndrome Score and Subclinical Atherosclerosis

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Research
• Metabolic Health
• Atherosclerosis Research

Background:

• Conflicting findings exist regarding the link between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and subclinical atherosclerosis.
• The standard binary definition of MetS lacks the granularity to capture the continuous nature of metabolic dysregulation.
• A novel MetS score was developed to provide a more dynamic and precise assessment of metabolic status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To calculate a MetS score for each participant.
• To investigate the association between the MetS score and indicators of subclinical atherosclerosis.
• To compare the predictive power of the MetS score versus the binary MetS definition for atherosclerosis.

Main Methods:

• An observational, cross-sectional study included 840 participants (66.55% male, median age 61).
• Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and brachial flow-mediated dilation (bFMD) were measured.
• Spearman's correlation, multiple linear regression, and logistic regression analyses were employed to assess associations.

Main Results:

• The MetS score showed significant associations with both arterial stiffness (baPWV) and endothelial dysfunction (bFMD).
• The MetS score was a more potent predictor of arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction than the binary MetS definition.
• Leukocyte count and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels correlated with the MetS score.

Conclusions:

• The MetS score serves as a practical clinical tool for assessing metabolic status.
• This score aids in identifying individuals with an elevated risk of developing subclinical atherosclerosis.
• The MetS score offers a more sensitive measure of atherosclerosis risk compared to the traditional MetS criteria.