The metabolic syndrome, hypertriglyceridemic waist, and cardiometabolic risk factor profile in obese women

Abstract

The hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTGW) and metabolic syndrome (MS) are associated with increased cardiometabolic risk. We evaluated the impact of the HTGW on cardiometabolic risk factors in obese women diagnosed with the MS. Thirty-six abdominally obese women with the MS as defined by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) [(mean (SD); age 49 (11) y, ht 165 (6) cm, wt 95 (16) kg] participated. The HTGW was defined as follows: a waist circumference ≥80 cm and triglycerides ≥1.7 mM. Unpaired t-tests and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) were employed to detect mean differences between women with MS plus or minus HTGW. Women with the MS plus HTGW had higher total cholesterol (16%, p=0.015), VLDL-cholesterol (97%, p<0.001), non-HDL-cholesterol (16%, p=0.002), insulin (40%, p=0.043), and abdominal visceral fat (24%, p=0.100), and lower total HDL-cholesterol (6%, p=0.024), HDL(3) (11%, p=0.031) and Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (QUICKI) (5%, p=0.068) compared with women with the MS minus HTGW. Thus, the presence of the HTGW was accompanied by a worsened cardiometabolic risk factor profile in these obese women with the MS. In particular, women with the MS plus HTGW were more insulin resistant compared to women with the MS minus HTGW. In conclusion, the presence of the HTGW in obese women with the MS exacerbates insulin resistance and cardiometabolic risk factors