Prevalence of metabolic syndrome among patients with coronary artery disease in Basrah, Iraq

Background & Methods: Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a group of comorbidities including visceral obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and impaired glycemic tolerance or diabetes. MetS has been associated with a considerable risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and type 2 diabetes. We conducted this study to determine the frequency of MetS among patients with CAD in Basrah, Iraq. Methodology: This study was conducted in Basrah Oil Specialized Hospital for Cardiovascular Medicine and Surgery, in Basrah, and included 150 patients with CAD, diagnosed by coronary angiography. Out of 150, 93 (62%) patients were males and 57 (38%) were females. We also included 150 apparently healthy individuals as controls; 93 (62%) males and 57 (38%) females. The age of both patients and controls were 40-80 y. Wight, height, waist circumference (WC), and blood pressure (BP) were measured. Biochemical parameters including fasting plasma glucose (FPG), highdensity lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglyceride (TG) were also measured. Results: The frequency of MetS was significantly higher among patients with coronary artery disease than in controls (P < 0.01). Also, it is more frequent among females (88%) compared to males (73%). Conclusion: The frequency of metabolic syndrome among patients with coronary artery disease is significantly higher compared to healthy population without heart disease.