Abstract

ARPA GAMEZ, Ángel et al. The metabolic syndrome as a risk factor for endothelial dysfunction. Rev Cub Med Mil [online]. 2007, vol.36, n.1, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3046.

The endothelial dysfunction, a previous stage in the atherosclerotic process, is influenced by different risk factors that are also connected with the metabolic syndrome. The flux vasodilation is a useful clinical test to assess the endothelial dysfunction. It was proposed to relate the metabolic syndrome as a risk factor of endothelial dysfunction. An observational case-control study was designed to this end. A study group composed of 50 subjects with metabolic syndrome according to the criteria of the Adult Treatment Panel III, and a control group that was made up of subjects without this syndrome, were created. Both groups underwent a flux vasodilation test. Of the patients presenting metabolic syndrome (51 subjects), 43 had endothelial dysfunction, whereas of the 40 cases without this syndrome, only four had endothelial dysfunction (Chi 2 : p < 0.01). Subjects with endothelial dysfunction were older, with a greater abdominal circumference and body mass index (BMI), higher values of blood pressure, glycaemia, cholesterol, and triglycerides, and a lower figure of HDLc, with mean differences that were always significant. A multiple linear regression test showed a marked relationship between the abdominal circumference (B: - 0.303; p = 0.002) and the systolic (B: - 0.582; p < 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (B: 0.239; p = 0.044) in the case of endothelial dysfunction. The higher the clinical expression of the metabolic syndrome (number of criteria), the greater the magnitude of the endothelial dysfunction (p < 0.05) . The metabolic syndrome is a risk factor for endothelial dysfunction and, therefore, for future atherosclerotic damage.

Keywords : Endothelial dysfunction; metabolic syndrome..