Components of the metabolic syndrome and incidence of diabetes in elderly Italians: the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship among components of the metabolic syndrome and their role in the development of diabetes. We included 2295 subjects, aged 65-84 years, participating in the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging, a population-based study conducted in 1992 and with a follow-up in 1996. Factor analysis was conducted, separately for diabetic and non-diabetic men and women, using the principle components method and varimax rotations. Factor scores for the baseline were used as independent variables in logistic regressions models to determine risk factors predicting the development of diabetes. Factor analysis among non-diabetic elderly showed two factors for men (body size/insulin resistance, blood pressure/lipids) and three for women (body size, lipids, blood pressure). Among diabetic subjects, three factors emerged for men (body size/lipids/insulin resistance, body size/blood pressure, glucose) and four for women (body size/lipids/insulin resistance, lipids, body size/glucose/insulin resistance, lipids/blood pressure). For non-diabetic men and women, the body size factor (body size/insulin resistance factor for men) was strongly associated with diabetes incidence (OR=2.30, 95% CI 1.41-3.74 and OR=2.06, 95% CI 1.33-3.17, respectively). This study confirms that the metabolic syndrome (MetS) does not recognize one single underlying factor in an elderly cohort and that the obesity factor is a strong predictor of development of new onset diabetes.     

Metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in an elderly Caucasian cohort: the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging

BACKGROUND: The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is represented by a cluster of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). In spite of its high frequency and strong association with morbidity and mortality in the adult population, little is known about its magnitude in elderly persons. METHODS: We assessed the prevalence of MetS by diabetic status and sex in the participants in the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging (ILSA), a population-based study on a sample of 5632 individuals 65-84 years old at baseline (1992). We measured the association of MetS with stroke, coronary heart disease, and diabetes at baseline and with CVD mortality at 4-year follow-up. RESULTS: The prevalence of MetS was 25.9% in nondiabetic men and 55.2% in nondiabetic women; in diabetic individuals it was 64.9% and 87.1% in men and women, respectively. At baseline, in both men and women there was a significant association with stroke (odds ratio [OR]=1.67, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-2.75 in men and OR=1.72, CI, 1.01-2.93 in women) and diabetes (OR=4.58, CI, 3.12-6.74 in men and OR=5.15, CI, 3.23-8.20 in women). A significant association with chronic heart disease was found in men only (OR=1.40; CI, 1.02-1.97). During the approximately 4-year follow-up, nondiabetic men with MetS had a risk of CVD mortality 12% higher compared to those without MetS, whereas no significant differences were found in women. CONCLUSIONS: MetS is very common in aged Italians, and it is associated with stroke and diabetes in both sexes, and with chronic heart disease in men. In men, it increases significantly the risk of CVD mortality.     

Prevalence of diabetes and depressive symptomatology and their effect on mortality risk in elderly Italians: The Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging

AimThis study assessed the prevalence of depressive symptomatology (DS) in older individuals with diabetes to determine whether diabetes and DS are independent predictors of mortality, and if their coexistence is associated with an increased mortality risk.MethodsAnalyses were based on data from the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging (ILSA), a prospective community-based cohort study in which 5632 individuals aged 65–84 years were enrolled. The role of diabetes and DS in all-cause mortality was evaluated using the Cox model, adjusted for possible confounders, for four groups: 1) those with neither diabetes nor DS (reference group); 2) those with DS but without diabetes; 3) those with diabetes but no DS; and 4) those with both diabetes and DS.ResultsType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was present in 13.8% of the participants; they presented with higher baseline rates of DS compared with the non-diabetic controls. During the first follow-up period, participants with DS but not diabetes had a 42% higher risk of all-cause mortality compared with the reference control group (HR = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.02–1.96), while participants with diabetes but not DS had an 83% higher risk of death than the reference group (HR = 1.83; 95% CI: 1.19–2.80). The risk of death for those with both disorders was more than twice that for the reference group (HR = 2.58; 95% CI: 1.55–4.29). Analyses of deaths from baseline to the second follow-up substantially confirmed these results.ConclusionThe prevalence rate of DS is higher in elderly people with diabetes and their coexistence is associated with an increased mortality risk.     

Validity of the ATP III diagnostic criteria for the metabolic syndrome in an elderly Italian Caucasian population: the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is represented by the co-occurrence of multiple metabolic and physiologic risk factors for both type 2 diabetes mellitus and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. In spite of its high frequency and association with morbidity and mortality in the adult population, very little is known about its magnitude in the elderly and about the validity of the diagnostic criteria commonly used. The objective of this paper is to assess the prevalence rate of MetS and the validity of the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) diagnostic criteria in an elderly Caucasian cohort, considering data from the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging (ILSA), a population-based study with a sample of 5632 individuals aged 65-84 years at baseline (1992). Logistic regression models and ROC curve were used to test the validity of the cut off levels proposed. The prevalence of MetS was 31.5% in men, and 59.8% in women. The cut off levels suggested for both men and women by the ATP III panel indicated a significant association with the MetS for all components. Actually, the ROC analysis would suggest lower levels for glycaemia (106 mg/dl) in men, and higher levels for blood pressure in both men and women (145/95 and 135/90, respectively). Concluding, MetS is very common in the aged Caucasians and the diagnostic criteria proposed by the ATP III panel seem to be appropriate in older individuals. Small adjustments in the cut off levels could be suggested for glycaemia (men) and in blood pressure (men and women).     

Frailty syndrome and all-cause mortality in demented patients: the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging

Cognition has already been considered as a component of frailty, and it has been demonstrated that it is associated with adverse health outcomes. We estimated the prevalence of frailty syndrome in an Italian older population and its predictive role on all-cause mortality and disability in nondemented subjects and in demented patients. We evaluated 2,581 individuals recruited from the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging, a population-based sample of 5,632 subjects, aged 65–84 years old. Participants received identical baseline evaluation at the 1st survey (1992–1993) and were followed at 2nd (1995–1996) and 3rd survey (2000–2001). A phenotype of frailty according to partially modified measurement of Cardiovascular Health Study criteria was operationalized. The overall prevalence of frailty syndrome in this population-based study was 7.6% (95% confidence interval (CI) 6.55–8.57). Frail individuals noncomorbid or nondisable were 9.1% and 39.3%, respectively, confirming an overlap but not concordance in the co-occurrence among these conditions. Frailty was associated with a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality over a 3-year follow-up (hazard ratio (HR) 1.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.52–2.60) and over a 7-year follow-up (HR 1.74, 95% CI 1.44–2.16), but with significant increased risk of disability only over a 3-year follow-up (HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.06–1.86 over a 3-year follow-up and HR 1.16, 95% CI 0.88–1.56 over a 7-year follow-up). Frail demented patients were at higher risk of all-cause mortality over 3- (HR 3.33, 95% CI 1.28–8.29) and 7-year follow-up periods (HR 1.89, 95% CI 1.10–3.44), but not of disability. Frailty syndrome was a short-term predictor of disability in nondemented older subjects and short- and long-term predictor of all-cause mortality in nondemented and demented patients.     

Components of metabolic syndrome and the incidence of type 2 diabetes in an elderly Taiwanese cohort

AimsMetabolic syndrome (MetS) is at great risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2DM). This study aimed to explore the association between the major MetS components and the T2DM incidence in an elderly Taiwanese population.Methods1738 subjects, aged 65–84 years, were enrolled from the Taiwan MJ health check-up in 2000 and 2001 and were again investigated in 2005 and 2006. Factor analysis was conducted and factor scores for the baseline of non-diabetic individuals were used as independent variables in logistic regression models to determine risk factors predicting the development of diabetes.ResultsMetS was common among the elderly residents receiving long-term health check-up in Taiwan. Sex-specific factor analyses yielded five separate factors including obesity, etc., accounting for 65.9% and 65.3% of the total variance in non-diabetic men and women, respectively. There were 56 males (6.44%) and 44 females (6.32%) without diabetic at baseline, developed diabetes during the mean 4.95 years follow-up. For non-diabetic men, blood lipids/FPG was strongly associated with diabetes incidence (RR = 2.22, 95% CI 1.69–2.92), while for women, FPG/inflammation factor had biggest RR (RR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.47–2.56). Among factor patterns, obesity was major cluster and as the common determinant of the diabetes risk for two sexes (RR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.02–1.73 and RR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.27–2.31, for men and women, respectively), but the BP was not associated with prediction of diabetes both in two genders.ConclusionsIdentification of five unique factors with different associations with incidence of diabetes suggests that the correlations among these variables reflect distinct metabolic processes rather than one single underlying entity in the elderly Taiwan cohort, and that the blood lipids/FPG and FPG/inflammation factor in both sexes predicting progression to T2DM beyond obesity alone.     

The metabolic syndrome and mortality: the Singapore Cardiovascular Cohort Study

Objective  This study assesses the effect of the metabolic syndrome on all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in healthy Chinese, Malays and Asian Indians in Singapore. The utility of the metabolic syndrome is also compared with the Framingham risk score for prediction of mortality.
Methods  Healthy participants ( n  = 5699) were grouped by the presence or absence of the metabolic syndrome, and followed up (mean 14·1 years) by data linkage with the National Death Register. Risk of mortality was obtained by Cox's proportional hazards model with adjusted hazard ratios (HRs). Area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to compare the metabolic syndrome and Framingham risk score for prediction of mortality.
Results  During a follow-up of 80 236 person-years, there were 382 deaths, of which 128 were due to CVD. Individuals with the metabolic syndrome had an increased risk of mortality for 'all-causes' (males: HR 1·4, 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) 1·1–1·8; and females: HR 1·8, 95%CI 1·3–2·6). There was also an increased risk of mortality due to CVD (males: HR 3·0, 95%CI 1·9–4·8; and females: HR 2·1, 95%CI 1·1–4·0). The area under ROC for Framingham risk score was higher for both all-cause and CVD mortality than metabolic syndrome.
Conclusions  Although an increased risk of 'all-cause' and CVD mortality due to the metabolic syndrome was found, the Framingham risk function still performed better than the metabolic syndrome in an Asian population. However, the metabolic syndrome should not be disregarded as it is a clinically useful entity for identifying individuals for management of its component CVD risk factors.     

Spousal cardiometabolic risk factors and incidence of type 2 diabetes: a prospective analysis from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

Aims/hypothesis

In the UK, more than one million people have undiagnosed diabetes and an additional five million are at high risk of developing the disease. Given that early identification of these people is key for both primary and secondary prevention, new screening approaches are needed. Since spouses resemble each other in cardiometabolic risk factors related to type 2 diabetes, we aimed to investigate whether diabetes and cardiometabolic risk factors in one spouse can be used as an indicator of incident type 2 diabetes in the other spouse.

Methods

We analysed data from 3649 men and 3478 women from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing with information on their own and their spouse’s diabetes status and cardiometabolic risk factors. We modelled incidence rates and incidence rate ratios with Poisson regression, using spousal diabetes status or cardiometabolic risk factors (i.e. BMI, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic BP, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol and triacylglycerols) as exposures and type 2 diabetes incidence in the index individual as the outcome. Models were adjusted for two nested sets of covariates.

Results

Spousal BMI and waist circumference were associated with incident type 2 diabetes, but with different patterns for men and women. A man’s risk of type 2 diabetes increased more steeply with his wife’s obesity level, and the association remained statistically significant even after adjustment for the man’s own obesity level. Having a wife with a 5 kg/m² higher BMI (30 kg/m² vs 25 kg/m²) was associated with a 21% (95% CI 11%, 33%) increased risk of type 2 diabetes. In contrast, the association between incident type 2 diabetes in a woman and her husband’s BMI was attenuated after adjusting for the woman’s own obesity level. Findings for waist circumference were similar to those for BMI. Regarding other risk factors, we found a statistically significant association only between the risk of type 2 diabetes in women and their husbands’ triacylglycerol levels.

Conclusions/interpretation

The main finding of this study is the sex-specific effect of spousal obesity on the risk of type 2 diabetes. Having an obese spouse increases an individual’s risk of type 2 diabetes over and above the effect of the individual’s own obesity level among men, but not among women. Our results suggest that a couples-focused approach may be beneficial for the early detection of type 2 diabetes and individuals at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, especially in men, who are less likely than women to attend health checks.

Data availability

Data were accessed via the UK Data Service under the data-sharing agreement no. 91400 (https://discover.ukdataservice.ac.uk/catalogue/?sn=5050&type=Data%20catalogue).

     

Pre-morbid intelligence, the metabolic syndrome and mortality: the Vietnam Experience Study

Aims/hypothesis We examined the relationship between pre-morbid intelligence quotient (IQ) and the metabolic syndrome, and assessed the role of the metabolic syndrome as a mediating factor in the association of IQ with total and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Methods In this cohort study, 4,157 men with IQ test results from late adolescence or early adulthood [mean age (range) 20.4 (16–30) years] attended a clinical examination in middle-age [38.3 (31–46) years] at which the components of the metabolic syndrome were measured. They were then followed for 15 years to assess mortality. Results In age-adjusted analyses, IQ was significantly inversely related to four of the five individual components comprising the metabolic syndrome: hypertension, high BMI, high triglycerides and high blood glucose, but not low HDL-cholesterol. After controlling for a range of covariates that included socioeconomic position, higher IQ scores were associated with a reduced prevalence of the metabolic syndrome itself (odds ratio_{1 SD increase in IQ} 0.87, 95% CI 0.78–0.98). Structural equation modelling revealed that education was not a mediator of the relationship between IQ and the metabolic syndrome. The metabolic syndrome partially mediated the relationship between IQ and CVD but not that between IQ and total mortality. Conclusions/interpretation In this cohort, higher scores on a pre-morbid IQ test were associated with a lower prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and most of its components. The metabolic syndrome was a mediating variable in the IQ–CVD relationship.     

老年男性人群2型糖尿病与代谢综合征情况调查

目的　研究老年人群中 2型糖尿病和代谢综合征的患病和发病情况及其相互关系。方法　对 1 996～ 2 0 0 0年连续 5年健康查体的 2 1 59例男性老年人进行糖尿病筛查 ,检测血脂、心电图、坐位血压、身高、体重 ,建立数据库。各项代谢异常的诊断标准遵循WHO相关规定。结果　糖尿病、葡萄糖耐量降低 (IGT)、高血压、脂代谢异常、冠心病和肥胖的患病率分别为 2 7.8%、2 4 .6 %、61 .3 %、66 .6 %、71 .9%和 44 .8%。 1 996年新诊断糖尿病1 1 5例 ,1 997年 1 37例 ,1 998年 69例 ,1 999年 2 6例 ,2 0 0 0年 38例。以合并脂代谢异常、高血压、冠心病、肥胖各项分别为 1计数叠加 ,新诊断糖尿病的发病率在记数为“0”时是 5 .62 % ,“1”时 9.57% ,“2”时 1 5 .86 % ,“3”时 2 3 .41 % ,“4”时 30 .60 %。Logistic分析显示脂代谢异常、冠心病和高血压与糖尿病发病密切相关 (P <0 .0 1 ) ,脂代谢异常和冠心病与IGT发病密切相关 (P <0 .0 5)。本组老年人群中 ,未合并代谢综合征中各项异常者仅占 3 .3 %。结论　老年男性人群受代谢综合征影响大 ,各项异常患病率高 ,合并异常项目越多对新发糖尿病影响越大。冠心病患病率高是老年人群代谢综合征的特点     

Longitudinal incidence and prevalence of adverse outcomes of diabetes mellitus in elderly patients

BACKGROUND: The natural history of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in the elderly has not been previously described in a national longitudinal sample. METHODS: This national longitudinal analysis (January 1, 1991, to December 31, 2004) examines mortality and morbidity rates in a representative sample of elderly patients newly diagnosed as having DM. Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed as having DM in 1994 (n=33,772) were compared with a control group (n=25,563) regarding death, lower extremity complications, nephropathy, retinopathy, cardiovascular complications, and cerebrovascular complications. RESULTS: The DM group had excess mortality of 9.2% by year 11 compared with the control group. By 2004, 91.8% of the DM group experienced an adverse complication compared with 72.0% of the control group. The DM group had a higher prevalence and incidence of microvascular and macrovascular complications at all time points compared with controls. Patients with DM were at increased risk for all lower extremity complications, particularly those requiring surgical intervention (gangrene, debridement, and amputation). Cardiovascular complications were a leading cause of morbidity, with 57.6% of the DM group diagnosed as having heart failure compared with 34.1% of the controls. CONCLUSION: Elderly persons newly diagnosed as having DM experienced high rates of complications during 10-year follow-up, far in excess of elderly persons without this diagnosis, implying a substantial burden on the individual and on the health care system.     

Prostate cancer incidence and mortality trends among elderly and adult Europeans

Prostate cancer is a common malignancy primarily of elderly men, with incidence rates rapidly increasing, owing to the population ageing and the introduction of more sensitive diagnostic procedures. Although the effectiveness of a screening test remains controversial, the decreasing mortality rates, which recently emerged in the USA, may be partly attributable to the changes of patterns of care, thus suggesting a potential effect of preventive measure. The object of this study is to examine time trends in incidence and mortality from prostate cancer in European Union (EU) countries, with particular attention to possible differences between the elderly (65 years old or over) and younger or middle age adults (35-64 years old). EUROCIM, the data base created by the European Network of Cancer Registries, provided the incidence and mortality data for the 12 EU Countries analysed (namely: Finland, Denmark, Scotland, England and Wales, Ireland and The Netherlands in Northern Europe; Austria, Germany and France in Central Europe; Italy, Spain and Portugal in Southern Europe), for the 1978-1994 period. Incidence and mortality time trends, expressed as mean difference per cent (MD%) per year, were estimated by a Poisson log-linear regression model. Higher resolution analyses were also carried out to check differences in time trends by age class within the two groups under study. Upward mortality trends occurred in several countries, excepting Ireland, Austria and Southern Europe, but only for younger and middle aged adults. Rates increased more rapidly in older age groups; a clear north-south gradient appeared both in the elderly and in younger adults; for the elderly, MD% higher than +1.5 for most countries of Northern Europe, MD% around +1 for Central Europe, and MD% less than +1 for Southern Europe were registered, with lower values for younger people. Incidence rates rose across the period considered, almost in all countries both for elderly and for younger and middle age adults, increasing more rapidly in younger age. Incidence trends showed a less clear geographic pattern than for mortality. In the younger group, high MD%, ranging in Northern Europe from +3.2 in Finland and England and Wales to +5.7 in The Netherlands, were observed, while in the South values ranged between +4.2 and +5.0. In Central Europe, very high MD%, ranging between +8.4 in France and +16.6 in Austria, were noted. No significant trends were observed for Denmark, Ireland and Portugal. For the elderly the increase was generally lower and no significant trend was observed in Germany and Portugal. Interaction between age and calendar period in the older group was observed for most of the considered countries. With reference to mortality, the MD% showed a tendency to rise, with increasing age, while no consistent pattern emerged for incidence. The observed incidence trends are probably a consequence of the different times in which the more recent detection methods were introduced in each country, and of the different policies adopted by each health care system towards the elderly. A comparison with the USA data suggests that in the next future a favourable downward mortality trend could be expected also in some EU Countries and, particularly, for younger age groups, even though prostatic cancer in old patients will remain a great burden, which National Health Care Systems will have to face in the next decades.     

Factor analysis of the metabolic syndrome among elderly Koreans--the South-west Seoul Study.

AIMS: To examine the relationship between the components of the metabolic syndrome and to explore whether insulin resistance unifies the clustering of components of the metabolic syndrome among urban elderly Koreans using exploratory factor analysis. METHODS: We included 1314 non-diabetic subjects over the age of 60 years, selected from a cross-sectional study, which was conducted in 1999 in Seoul, Korea. Factor analysis was carried out using the principle components analysis with Varimax orthogonal rotation of the components of the metabolic syndrome. RESULTS: We found four major factors of cardiovascular disease risk variables in our study subjects. Impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidaemia, hypertension and obesity aggregated as the major domain. Obesity and dyslipidaemia variables were closely related and loaded on the same factor. However, hypertension was not linked closely with other factors of the metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Insulin resistance is not the only contributor to the metabolic syndrome among urban elderly Koreans. Although the components of the metabolic syndrome were closely related, the finding of more than one factor suggests that more than one pathophysiological mechanism underlies full expression of the metabolic syndrome among elderly Koreans.     

Hyperuricemia and incidence of hypertension among men without metabolic syndrome

The aim of this project was to study the risk of developing hypertension over a 6-year follow-up in normotensive men with baseline hyperuricemia (serum uric acid >7.0 mg/dL) but without diabetes/glucose intolerance or metabolic syndrome. We analyzed the data on men without metabolic syndrome or hypertension at baseline from the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial. These men (n=3073; age: 35 to 57 years) were followed for an average of 6 years by annual examinations. Follow-up blood pressure among those with baseline was consistently higher than among those with normal serum uric acid concentration. We used Cox regression models for adjustment for the effects of serum creatinine, body mass index, age, blood pressure, proteinuria, serum cholesterol and triglycerides, alcohol and tobacco use, risk factor interventions, and use of diuretics. In these models, normotensive men with baseline hyperuricemia had an 80% excess risk for incident hypertension (hazard ratio: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.59 to 2.07) compared with those who did not. Each unit increase in serum uric acid was associated with a 9% increase in the risk for incident hypertension (hazard ratio: 1.09; 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.17). We conclude that the hyperuricemia-hypertension risk relationship is present among normotensive middle-aged men without diabetes/glucose intolerance or metabolic syndrome.