Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in cardiac rehabilitation/secondary prevention programs

Background Metabolic syndrome (MS) consists of a cluster of obesity-related risk factors that have been linked to the development and progression of coronary heart disease (CHD). The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of MS, as defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol, in patients with CHD attending cardiac rehabilitation (CR) after a coronary event. Methods We analyzed baseline data of 1912 individuals with established coronary artery disease entering CR in Burlington, Vt, and Boston, Mass. Results Overall, 50% of patients entering CR have MS. A significantly greater percentage of women than men have MS, (54% vs 48, respectively, P < .001). This is due to higher prevalence of abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, and hypertension (all, P < .05) in women. In women, the prevalence of MS peaked in the eighth decade vs the fifth decade in men. Conclusions The prevalence of MS in patients with CHD participating in CR is greater than twice that of the general population. The prevalence of MS is higher and occurs at an older age in women than men. This study highlights the need for CR programs to develop specific interventions to assist patients with risk factor modification primarily by targeting physical inactivity and weight control.