Abdominal obesity is essential for the risk of venous thromboembolism in the metabolic syndrome: the Tromsø study |
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Authors: | K H BORCH S K BRÆKKAN E B MATHIESEN† I NJØLSTAD‡ T WILSGAARD‡ J STØRMER§ J-B HANSEN |
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Institution: | Center for Atherothrombotic Research in Tromsø(CART), Department of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø, Tromsø;;Department of Neurology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø, Tromsø;;Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tromsø, Tromsø;;and Department of Radiology, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway |
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Abstract: | Summary. Background: The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors, including abdominal obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and insulin resistance, associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and all cause mortality. Objectives: The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of the metabolic syndrome, and its individual components, on the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in a prospective population-based study. Methods: Individual components of the metabolic syndrome were registered in 6170 subjects aged 25–84 years in the Tromsø Study in 1994–1995, and first ever VTE events were registered until 1 September 2007. Results: The metabolic syndrome was present in 21.9% (1350 subjects) of the population. There were 194 validated first VTE events (2.92 per 1000 person-years) during a mean of 10.8 years of follow-up. Presence of metabolic syndrome was associated with increased risk of VTE (HR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.22–2.23) in age- and gender-adjusted analysis. The risk of VTE increased with the number of components in the metabolic syndrome ( P < 0.001). Abdominal obesity was the only component significantly associated with VTE in multivariable analysis including age, gender, and the individual components of the syndrome (HR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.49–2.75). When abdominal obesity was omitted as a diagnostic criterion, none of the other components, alone or in cluster, was associated with increased risk of VTE. Conclusions: Our study provides evidence for the metabolic syndrome as a risk factor for TE. Abdominal obesity appeared to be the pivotal risk factor among the individual components of the syndrome. |
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Keywords: | cardiovascular disease metabolic syndrome obesity thrombosis |
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