Heart Risk Linked to Metabolic Syndrome and Smoking

Chinese study of older adults shows an increased risk of cardiovascular disease

26 jan 2009-- In China, older adults with metabolic syndrome who are exposed to either active or passing smoking have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a report published in the Jan. 27 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Yao He, M.D., of the Chinese PLA General Hospital in Beijing, China, and colleagues surveyed 2,334 Chinese subjects (943 men and 1,391 women) aged 60 and older. Among men, 58.1 percent were identified as ever smokers and 34.8 percent had metabolic syndrome. Among women, 13.1 percent were identified as ever smokers and 54.1 percent had metabolic syndrome. Women were more likely than men to have been exposed to secondhand smoke (42.3 percent versus 19.9 percent).

Compared to never-smokers without metabolic syndrome, the researchers found subjects with metabolic syndrome who were exposed to active or passive smoking had an increased cardiovascular disease risk of 48 to 193 percent. They also calculated that smoking cessation could reduce the risk by 37 percent in male smokers with metabolic syndrome.

"Considering that both tobacco use and metabolic syndrome are the two leading causes of preventable death in China, our findings have important public health implications," the authors write. "Our results emphasize that public health policies are needed to control smoking, secondhand smoke and metabolic syndrome. In terms of the implications for clinical practice, smokers or those exposed to passive smoke with metabolic syndrome have very high cardiovascular disease risk and should be targeted for intensive interventions."

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