Background. The aim of this study was to evaluate the burden of coronary calcifications in a subgroup of post-menopausal women with metabolic syndrome (MS) in agreement with the National Cholesterol Educational Program-Third Report of the Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (NCEP-ATP III) definition. Methods. We studied 81 women (43 control subjects and 38 women with MS) in agreement with the NCEP-ATP III definition undergoing multislice computed tomography for evaluation of coronary calcifications. The patients were similar for Framingham risk score. Results. The severity and extent of coronary artery calcifications were higher in individuals with MS (10.8 \uc2\ub1 15.8 vs 3.02 \uc2\ub1 5.6; p = 0.006). In all patients total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins and triglycerides were correlated with calcium score (p <0.05) while high-density lipoproteins were inversely correlated with coronary calcifications. In women with MS total cholesterol and low-density iipoprotein cholesterol were correlated with calcium score. Conclusions. Women with MS have a higher burden of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. The correlation between MS and calcium score concerned more the presence rather than the severity of coronary calcifications. Moreover, no correlation was observed among single components of MS in agreement with the NCEP-ATP III definition. \uc2\ua9 2007 AIM Publishing Srl
