Metabolic syndrome and its components predict the development of arterial stiffening in a sample of adult men.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Metabolic syndrome (MS) and its components are associated with greater cardiovascular risk. A number of studies found a positive association between MS and vascular damage, but few observational studies evaluated the predictive role of MS on arterial stiffening (AS). Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the ability of MS and its components to predict the risk of AS in an 8-year follow-up of a sample of adult men (Olivetti Heart Study). METHODS The analysis included 778 men without AS (pulse pressure >60 mmHg) at baseline. A positive diagnosis of MS was made by recognized criteria, if at least three components were present. RESULTS At the end of the follow-up period, there was an incidence of 11% in AS. The percentage of participants that developed AS was greater in the MS group than those without MS, also after adjustment for main confounders (odds ratio: 2.5, 95% confidence interval: 1.3-4.9). The risk of AS also increased with increase in the numbers of MS elements (p for trend <.01). In addition, the analysis of the predictive role of the single MS component showed that high blood pressure (HBP) was the strongest predictor. CONCLUSIONS The results of this prospective study indicate a predictive role of MS on AS, independently of main confounders. In addition, HBP seems the strongest predictor of AS among MS components.