The relationship between metabolic syndrome, its components, and the whole-body atherosclerotic disease burden as measured by computed tomography angiography.
Quantify the whole-body atherosclerotic disease in asymptomatic subjects with and without metabolic syndrome (MetS) and to assess the contribution of the syndrome and its components to the atherosclerotic burden. Sixty-five subjects with and 51 without ATPIII-defined MetS underwent a 64-slice computed tomography angiography (CTA). Plaques causing >0% stenosis in coronary or extra-coronary arteries were classified as positive. The prevalence of plaques in coronary, carotid and peripheral arteries as well as their severity did not differ between groups. Conversely, it was seen an almost 3-fold increased likelihood (OR=2.70; 95% CI 1.30-5.57; P<0.001) of atherosclerosis in any district across categories of MetS components (0-1 vs. 2-3 vs. 4-5). Hypertriglyceridemia (P<0.05) and high blood glucose (P<0.05) were independent predictors of the atherosclerotic burden. Atherosclerotic burden as revealed by 64-TCA appears to be more strongly associated with the number of MetS-related factors than to the clinical diagnosis of MetS itself.