Metabolic syndrome in women associated with carotid artery thickness regardless of obesity

A recent investigation examined the combined influence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and obesity on markers of early atherosclerosis-carotid artery intima media thickness (cIMT) and adventitial diameter (AD). This study was published in the Menopause journal by Leis and colleagues.

Carotid ultrasound assessments conducted as part of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) between 2009 and 2013 were analyzed in a cross-sectional study involving 1,433 women. The findings of the study were as follows:

• Increased Atherosclerotic Risk: Women with obesity showed an average cIMT increase of 0.051 mm, while those with MetS had a 0.057 mm larger cIMT compared to counterparts without these conditions (both P < 0.001).
• Combined Impact: A significant interaction was observed between obesity and MetS (P = 0.011). Women affected by both conditions exhibited a higher model-adjusted predicted mean cIMT of 0.955 mm (95% CI, 0.897-1.013) compared to those with MetS alone (0.946 mm; 95% CI, 0.887-1.005), obesity alone (0.930 mm; 95% CI, 0.873-0.988), or neither condition (0.878 mm; 95% CI, 0.821-0.935). Similar patterns were observed in AD measurements.