Metabolic syndrome and coronary artery disease in young Egyptians presenting with acute coronary syndrome

Rationale: The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between metabolic syndrome and the extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) in young adults presenting with acute coronary syndrome. Background: Metabolic syndrome is associated with subsequent development of type II diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Individuals with metabolic syndrome are at a higher risk of developing myocardial infarction and CAD. Patients and methods: This study was carried out at Kasr Al Ainy Hospital at Cairo University and the Sohag Specialized Cardiac and Digestive System Center. One hundred and twenty-two patients presented with acute coronary syndrome during the period of the study from January 2011 to January 2012. Eighty-five were men (69.7%) and 37 were women (30.3%). Patients were classified into two groups according to the presence or absence of metabolic syndrome to determine the effect of metabolic syndrome on severity of coronary lesions in comparison with nonmetabolic patients. Correlation was assessed between the number of metabolic risk components and coronary lesion severity using the SYNTAX score. Results: The metabolic risk score was determined; patients with a significant metabolic score of at least 3 risk score constituted 66.4% of the total cohort (n = 81 patients). Patients were subjected to coronary angiography. Totally occluded vessels were found in 33.3% of metabolic syndrome patients and in 26.8% of non metabolic syndrome patients (P 0.05). The SYNTAX score was used to assess the severity of CAD; it was found to be statistically significantly higher in patients with metabolic syndrome than those without (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Patients with metabolic syndrome have more severe CADs. Preventive measures against metabolic syndrome and its components are very important and could help avoid the large economic burden of secondary prevention.