Dialysis Patients with Metabolic Syndrome Show Increased Risk for Heart Disease
Key points
- A study of kidney dialysis patients found that nearly 70 percent had metabolic syndrome, a set of symptoms that is a predictor of cardiovascular disease, at the time they initiated maintenance dialysis.
- 'Metabolic syndrome is a term we apply to anyone having three of the following five criteria: abdominal obesity, elevated triglyceride levels, low HDL cholesterol (also known as 'good cholesterol') levels, high blood pressure, or high blood glucose after fasting,' says study author Dr.
- The study also showed that white, female and diabetic dialysis patients showed the highest incidence of metabolic syndrome.
- Young sees potential to use metabolic syndrome as a medical diagnostic tool.
A study of kidney dialysis patients found that nearly 70 percent had metabolic syndrome, a set of symptoms that is a predictor of cardiovascular disease, at the time they initiated maintenance dialysis. This information further illuminates the relationship between heart and kidney disease, as dialysis patients are already known to have an elevated risk of cardiovascular problems.
'Metabolic syndrome is a term we apply to anyone having three of the following five criteria: abdominal obesity, elevated triglyceride levels, low HDL cholesterol (also known as 'good cholesterol') levels, high blood pressure, or high blood glucose after fasting,' says study author Dr. Daniel Young.
The study also showed that white, female and diabetic dialysis patients showed the highest incidence of metabolic syndrome.
Dr. Young sees potential to use metabolic syndrome as a medical diagnostic tool. “Checking new dialysis patients for these criteria may assist us in identifying the patients most vulnerable to cardiovascular disease in this population.” In addition, he suggests that additional research involving metabolic syndrome and the earlier stages of kidney disease may yield important insights into the diagnosis of kidney disease itself.
Written and revised by
David Cohen, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
Explore health topics
More in this topic
Heart & Blood Vessels →
NewsStudy shows high survival for patients with torn aortas who get surgery
Nearly three years ago, actor John Ritter collapsed on the set of his sitcom, the victim of a rare but often deadly condition called aortic dissection - a tear in the largest blood vessel in the body. His death brought…
12 July 2006
NewsMetabolic Syndrome Significantly Boosts Risk of Heart Failure in Middle Age
Metabolic syndrome significantly boosts the chances of heart failure in middle age, suggests research published ahead of print in Heart. Metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of conditions, including obesity, high…
23 May 2006
GuideLowering of LDL level shows limited benefit for patients with previous heart attack
Patients who have had a heart attack and are treated with a high dose of a statin drug did not have significant reduction in the primary outcome of major cardiac events (coronary death, nonfatal acute heart attack, or…
