Management of cardiovascular disease in African-American women: utility of the metabolic syndrome guidelines

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the Unites States and is disproportionately more prevalent among African-American women than members of other ethnic groups. The National Cholesterol Education Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) metabolic syndrome guidelines are useful in clinical practice to identify individuals who are at risk for developing CVD. Amendments to the ATP III criteria might be indicated to enhance early identification of CVD risk factors among African-American women, even when only one or two of the criteria are met. The addition of body mass index (BMI) and the identification of acanthosis nigricans as a marker of insulin resistance to the ATP III metabolic syndrome guidelines might facilitate early CVD risk identification, strategy implementation, and reduction of premature morbidity and mortality within this population.