ASSESSMENT OF VASCULAR AGE IN PATIENTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death and one of the leading causes of death worldwide; the risk of developing atherosclerotic CVDs in later life in a 50-year-old person is on average 52% for men and 39% for women, with large variations depending on the expression of risk factors [2]. Assessment of individual cardiovascular risk is useful for selecting preventive treatment in asymptomatic patients with high risk of CVD [3]. Several algorithms have been proposed to facilitate individual risk assessment in patients. Most risk assessment scales include age, sex, blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, and lipid values. Some recently proposed assessment scales include additional risk factors such as use of antihypertensive therapy, C-reactive protein (CRP), premature CHD in a family history, low socioeconomic status, and glycated hemoglobin (hemoglobin A1c). Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but it is often overlooked because in the short term (within 5-10 years in most risk assessment algorithms) its impact is largely mediated by other risk factors.