Metabolic syndrome: frequency of its components and global risk for coronary heart disease

The metabolic syndrome (MS) includes an aggregate of components that is associated with the risk of diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis. The calculation of the global risk score (GR) for coronary disease (Framingham Study) allows their categorization. The objectives of this work were to describe: a) the frequency of the associations of the MS components; b) the distribution of the frequency of low, moderate and high GR values in employees with MS defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program (ATP III). From an observational and multicentric study of 2,806 employees of both sexes between 40-65 years old from Argentina 625 subjects with MS were selected. The frequency of subjects with three components was 67.4%, 28.6% with four, and 4% with five. The most frequent combination in men was central obesity with arterial pressure >= 130/85 mmHg or treated and triglycerides >= 150 mg/dL 26.5%. In women, it was similar but, 20.5% were with low HDL cholesterol. In men, 26.5% had MS without central obesity and 27.8% had MS with glucose >= 110 mg/dL. Moderate or high GR was found in 62.2% of men and 13.9% of women, but 37.8% of men and 86.1% of women had low GR. The results showed the heterogeneity of MS presentation according to the frequency of its components, and they indicate the need to include GR in the clinical evaluation.