Cluster Bombs: Metabolic syndrome tied to heart disease deaths
By Ben Harder
Men with a certain cluster of metabolic characteristics are about three times as likely to die of heart disease as men without the traits are, according to a new study.
The cluster, called the metabolic syndrome or syndrome X, is made up of generally mild risk factors that often occur together, says Hanna-Maaria Lakka, who is currently at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La.
These features include high blood pressure, high triglyceride concentrations in the blood, abnormal metabolism of blood sugar, and excess weight, especially around the waist (SN: 4/8/00, p. 236: The New GI Tracts).