High prevalence of metabolic risk factors in South African blacks with coronary artery disease - (05/07/06)
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This study conducted in a small number of South African blacks with established coronary artery disease but no known diabetes mellitus (n=40) suggests a high prevalence (60%) of metabolic syndrome according to ATP III criteria in this population. While most subjects with hypertension had this condition previously diagnosed, impaired glucose tolerance was present in 30% as well as undiagnosed diabetes mellitus (present in 20% of all subjects). This means that half of all these CAD subjects had generally undiagnosed abnormal glucose homeostasis. Increased waist circumference, the hallmark of abdominal obesity, was the main risk factor that differentiated the two groups (with or without the metabolic syndrome). It was significantly related to insulin resistance assessed by the hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamp technique and formed, along with hypertension and elevated glucose, the most frequent risk-factor combination.
