What is the relationship between the metabolic syndrome and stroke risk?
Results concerning a relationship between glucose intolerance and stroke risk have been mixed. In a study of 18990 men and women who were screened for entry into the Diabetes Reduction Assessment with Ramipril and Rosiglitazone Medication (DREAM) trial from 21 different countries, an 18-mg/dL increase in fasting plasma glucose or a 45-mg/dL increase in the 2-hour glucose after an oral glucose tolerance test was associated with an increase in cardiovascular events, including stroke or death (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.13 1.22). The metabolic syndrome is a predictor of CVD and vascular death, however, this risk does not appear to be any larger than the sum of the components of the syndrome. A similar lack of greater predictability is true for the metabolic syndrome and stroke risk, which may be because of sample size or a small number of stroke events.