Metabolic Syndrome as a Predictor of Mortality Among Older Adults
Studies on the utility of the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome in predicting cardiovascular mortality among older adults are not readily available. In a landmark study, this research looked at evaluating the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome on participants’ mortality rate between 1989-2004 among 4258 US adults 65 years of age and older who were at the time of enrollment free from cardiovascular disease (CVD). The study was a multicenter, population-based, prospective cohort and was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, May 12, 2008.
Despite on-going current debates over the usefulness of the term “metabolic syndrome” this study found that those study participants who were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome had a 22% higher mortality rate than those participants without this diagnosis. Higher risk with metabolic syndrome was related to those who had higher fasting glucose levels (>110 mg/dl fasting) or hypertension as one of the criteria. The conclusions of the study were that these study findings suggest a limited utility of metabolic syndrome for predicting total or CVD mortality in older adults compared with assessment of fasting glucose and blood pressure alone.
More study is clearly needed relative to how metabolic syndrome can predict mortality in older adults and more importantly, what are the most important nutritional and medical approaches to delay the progression of metabolic syndrome in this particular population group.
About the Author
Kathy Shattler received her Master of Science degree from Michigan State University in E. Lansing Michigan in Human Nutrition. Her twenty-two years of practice includes holding positions as a Lecturer, Chief Clinical Dietitian and Program Manager. Kathy is the Founder of Nutri-Care Consulting and is currently the Nutrition Director of www.CEU4U.COM, an online continuing education management company for Registered Dietitians and Dietetic Technicians.
