PARIS: Metabolic Syndrome Linked To Increased Risk Of Second Stroke, Death: Study

PARIS: People with larger waistlines,
high blood pressure and other risk factors that make up metabolic syndrome may
be at higher risk for having a second stroke and even dying than people who do
not have metabolic syndrome, according to a meta-analysis.

The
findings of the analysis were published in the online issue of Neurology, the
medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Metabolic
syndrome was defined as having excess belly fat plus two or more of the
following risk factors: high blood pressure, higher than normal triglycerides
(a type of fat found in the blood), high blood sugar and low high-density
lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, or “good” cholesterol.

“Studies
have shown conflicting results on whether metabolic syndrome, which has been
tied to an increased risk of a first stroke, also increases the risk of a
second stroke and death, so we wanted to analyze all of the research
available,” said study author Tian Li, MD, of Fourth Military Medical
University in Xi’an, China.

“These
findings will help people with metabolic syndrome and their health care
providers know that they should be screened for risk of recurrent stroke and
given preventative treatments,” added Li.

For the
risk of stroke recurrence, the meta-analysis combined results from six studies
with 11,000 participants who were followed for up to five years. During that
time, 1,250 people had a second stroke.

The
analysis found that people with metabolic syndrome were 46 per cent more likely
to have a second stroke than people who did not have the syndrome.

Looking
at each component of metabolic syndrome, researchers found that having a low
level of good cholesterol and having two or more components of the syndrome
were associated independently with an increased risk of a second stroke.

Having
excess belly fat, high blood sugar and high blood pressure were not associated
with increased risk of the second stroke on their own.

For the
risk of death from any cause, the meta-analysis combined eight studies with
51,613 people who were followed for up to five years. During that time, 4,210
people died.

People
with metabolic syndrome were 27 per cent more likely to die during the study
than people without the syndrome. None of the individual components of the
syndrome was independently associated with an increased risk of death.

“These
results add to the evidence that people with metabolic syndrome should take
steps to modify their risk of second stroke and even death where possible,
through medication, diet, exercise and other recommended lifestyle changes such
as stopping smoking,” Li said.

Li noted
that the studies were observational, so they do not prove that metabolic
syndrome is a cause of recurrent stroke or death. They only show an
association.