Metabolic syndrome is common in heart attack

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Nearly half of heart attack patients also have metabolic syndrome, which puts them at high risk of complications.
Metabolic syndrome is a collection of risk factors like high blood pressure, larger waist circumference and high cholesterol. One study has shown that a quarter of Americans has metabolic syndrome, which rises to 44 per cent in those over 50.

A team at the University of Burgundy, Dijon, France, looked at the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in a group of 633 patients who had had a heart attack. They found that 46 per cent met the criteria for metabolic syndrome. Those with metabolic syndrome were more likely to be older, be women and to have had a history of heart attack. Such patients were also more likely to suffer from heart failure following their heart attack. High blood glucose seemed to be the most important risk factor governing this. Clearly glucose control should be a key aspect in caring for people after a heart attack.

Source
Archives of Internal Medicine 23rd May 2005 Volume 165 pages 1192-1198