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Approximately 25% of the adult population in the United States, and as many as 50% of adults older than 60 years, have metabolic syndrome, said Dr. Prakash Deedwania, professor of medicine, chief, Cardiology Section, and director of cardiovascular research at the University of California, San Francisco. With increasing prevalence of obesity, it is likely that in the future an even greater number of Americans will have metabolic syndrome.
The risk of heart disease increases 2-3 times and the risk of stroke increases 4 times in patients with metabolic syndrome compared to patients without metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is associated with some specific types of dyslipidemia that increase the risk of atherosclerosis.
Measuring levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) may help to further delineate cardiovascular (CV) risk in patients with metabolic syndrome or diabetes mellitus, possibly identifying high-risk subsets that warrant aggressive intervention. At the 53rd Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardilogy, Dr. Shiasta Malik presented strong evidence that supported previous research regarding CRP as an important marker for stratifying risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Should all type 2 diabetic patients be considered for statin therapy? Statin therapy reduces the risk of a first major CV event in patients with type 2 diabetes and unremarkable cholesterol levels, said Helen Colhoun, MD, at the 6th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA). This finding strongly suggests that all type 2 diabetes patients be treated with a statin, regardless of their cholesterol levels.
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Dyslipidemia in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome
