Metabolic Syndrome in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease. Results of Using Different Diagnostic Criteria

A unified definition of metabolic syndrome, considered a common feature of cardiovascular risk, is lacking. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of this syndrome in patients with ischemic heart disease using two diagnostic criteria: the European Group of Resistance to Insulin and the National Cholesterol Education Program. We designed an observational, crosssectional study of the factors that make up metabolic syndrome in subjects diagnosed with coronary heart disease. A total of 169 patients aged 35 to 79 years were studied (129 men and 40 women). With the European group criterion the percentage of patients with metabolic syndrome was 43.7%, whereas the American group criterion yielded a prevalence of 40.8% (no significant difference). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome among patients with ischemic heart disease is high. The diagnostic criteria used are similar and do not differ significantly, although diagnostic concordance was only 50%.