Skip to main content
Log in

Impacts of components of the metabolic syndrome on health status and survival in an aged population

  • Published:
European Journal of Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The clinical significances of different components of the multiple metabolic syndrome were studied in a five-year follow-up study of random persons (n = 1,199) of four birth cohorts at ages 65, 75, 80, and 85 years. The subjects were examined clinically and their serum lipids, blood glucose, plasma insulin, blood pressure, and health score were determined. The health score was measured using a visual analogue scale. All subjects were followed for 5 years. Health score, diastolic blood pressure and body mass index declined over age, but serum triglycerides, and blood glucose were similar, whilst serum high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol increased. Among women fasting plasma insulin was lowest in the age group of 65 years. The associations of components of the multiple metabolic syndrome varied by age. In the age groups of 65 and 75 years high body mass index, plasma insulin, glucose, triglycerides and low HDL-cholesterol were associated with impaired health. In the age group of 85 years high blood pressure, total cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol were associated with good health. The baseline health score was consistently lower in the decedents than survivors of all age groups, but components of the metabolic syndrome were generally not associated with impaired survival.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Reaven GM. Role of insulin resistance in human disease. Diabetes 1988; 37: 1595–1607.

    Google Scholar 

  2. MacMahon S, Peto R, Cutler J, Collins R, Sorlie P, Neaton J, Abbott R, Godwin J, Dyer A, Stamler J. Blood pressure, stroke, and coronary heart disease. Part 1: Prolonged differences in blood pressure: Prospective observational studies corrected for the regression dilution bias. Lancet 1990; 335: 765–774.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Kannel WB. Hypertension as a risk factor for cardiac events: Epidemiologic results of long-term studies. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 1993; 21(suppl 2): S27–S37.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Austin MA. Plasma triglyceride and coronary heart disease. Arterioscler Thromb 1990; 11: 2–14.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Gotto AM, LaRosa JC, Hunninghake D, Grundy SM, Wilson PW, Clarkson TB, Hay JW, Goodman DS. The cholesterol facts: A summary of the evidence relating dietary fats, serum cholesterol, and coronary heart disease. A joint statement by the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Circulation 1990; 81: 1721–1733.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Gordon DJ, Probstfeld JL, Garrison RJ, Neaton JD, Castelli WP, Knoke JD, Jacobs DR, Bangdiwala S, Tyroler HA. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol and cardiovascular disease: Four prospective American studies. Circulation 1989; 79: 8–15.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Pyörälä K. Relationship of glucose tolerance and plasma insulin to the incidence of coronary heart disease: Results from two population studies in Finland. Diabetes Care 1979; 2: 131–141.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Hubert HB, Feinlieb M, McNamara PM, Castelli WP. Obesity as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease: A 26-year follow-up of participants in the Framingham Heart Study. Circulation 1983: 67; 968–977.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Stern MP. Perspectives in diabetes: Diabetes and cardiovascular disease — the ‘common soil’ hypothesis. Diabetes 1995; 44: 369–374.

    Google Scholar 

  10. McPhillips JB, Barrett-Connor E, Wingard DL. Cardiovascular disease risk factors prior to the diagnosis of impaired glucose tolerance and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in a community of older adults. Am J Epidemiol 1990; 131: 443–453.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Haffner SM, Ferrannini E, Hazuda HP, Stern MP. Clustering of risk factors in confirmed prehypertensive individuals. Hypertension 1992; 20: 38–45.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Castelli WP, WIlson PWF, Levy D, Anderson K. Cardiovascular risk factors in the elderly. Am J Cardiol 1989; 63: 12H–19H.

    Google Scholar 

  13. DeFronzo RA. Glucose intolerance and ageing: Evidence for tissue insensitivity to insulin. Diabetes 1979; 28: 1095–1101.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Bulpitt CJ. Definition, prevalence and incidence of hypertension in the elderly. In: Amery A, Staessen J (eds), Handbook of hypertension, Vol 12: Hypertension in the elderly. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Kannel WB, Gordon T. Evaluation of cardiovascular risk in the elderly: The Framingham study. Bull NY Acad Med 1978; 54: 573–591.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Tietz NW, Shuey DF, Wekstein DR. Laboratory values in fit aging individuals: Sexagenarians through centenarians. Clin Chem 1992; 38: 1167–1185.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Mykkänen L, Laakso M, Pyörälä K. High plasma insulin level associated with coronary heart disease in the elderly. Am J Epidemiol 1993; 137: 1190–1202.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Zimetbaum P, Frishman WH, Ooi WL, Derman MP, Aronson M, Gidez LI, Eder HA. Plasma lipids and lipoproteins and the incidence of cardiovascular disease in the very elderly: The Bronx Aging Study. Arterioscler Thromb 1992; 12: 416–423.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Weijenberg MP, Feskens EJM, Bowles CH, Kromhout D. Serum total cholesterol and systolic blood pressure as risk factors for mortality from ischemic heart disease among elderly men and women. J Clin Epidemiol 1994; 47: 197–205.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Harris T, Cook EF, Garrison R, Higgins M, Kannel W, Goldman L. Body mass index and mortality among nonsmoking older persons: The Framingham Heart Study. JAMA 1988;259: 1520–1524.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Lindroos M, Kupari M, Heikkil J, Tilvis R. Predictors of left ventricular mass in old age: An echocardiographic, clinical and biochemichal investigation of a random population sample. Eur Heart J 1994; 15: 769–780.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Finley PR, Schifman RB, Williams RJ, Lichti DA. Cholesterol in high density lipoprotein: Use of Mg2+/Dextran sulphate in its enzymatic measurement. Clin Chem 1978; 24: 931–933.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Huskisson EC. Measurement of pain. Lancet 1974 (ii): 1127–1131.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Dixon WJ. BMDP statistical software manual. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Jern S. Questionnaire for the assessment of symptoms and psychological effects in cardiovascular therapy (the ASPECT Scale). Scand J Prim Health Care 1990 (suppl 1): 31–32.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Welin L, Eriksson H, Larsson B, Ohlson LO, Svärdsudd K, Tibblin G, Wilhelmsen L. Triglycerides, a major coronary risk factor in elderly men. A study of men born in 1913. Eur Heart J 1991; 12: 700–704.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Manolio TA, Ettinger WH, Tracy RP, Kuller LH, Borhani NO, Lynch JC, Fried LP. Epidemiology of low cholesterol levels in older adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study. Circulation 1991; 87: 728–735.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Cornoni-Huntley JC, Harris TB, Everett DF, Albanes D, Micozzi MS, Miles TP, Feldman JJ. An overview of body weight of older persons, including the impact on mortality. The national health and nutrition survey I-Epidemiologic follow-up study. J Clin Epidemiol 1991; 44: 743–753.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Glynn RJ, Field TS, Rosner B, Hebert PR, Taylor JO, Hennekens CH. Evidence for a positive linear relation between blood pressure and mortality in elderly people. Lancet 1995; 345: 825–829.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Ferrara A, Barrett-Connor EL, Edelstein SL. Hyperinsulinemia does not increase the risk of fatal cardiovascular diseases in elderly men or women without diabetes: The Rancho Bernardo Study 1984–1991. Am J Epidemiol 1994; 140: 857–869.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Stengård JH, Tuomilehto J, Pekkanen J, Kivinen P, Kaarsalo E, Nissinen A, Karvonen MJ. Diabetes mellitus, impaired glucose tolerance and mortality among elderly men: The Finnish cohorts of the Seven Countries Study. Diabetologia 1992; 35: 760–765.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Wong JSK, Pearson DWM, Murchison LE, Narayan V. Mortality in diabetes mellitus: Experience of a geographically defined population. Diabet Med 1991; 8: 135–139.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Hakala S-M, Strandberg TE, Tilvis RS. Blood pressure and mortality in a general aged population: A five-year follow-up of the Helsinki Ageing Study. Eur Heart J 1996 (in press).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lindberg, O., Tilvis, R.S., Strandberg, T.E. et al. Impacts of components of the metabolic syndrome on health status and survival in an aged population. Eur J Epidemiol 13, 429–434 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007325609315

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007325609315

Navigation