What is the problem and what is known about it so far?

Metabolic syndrome is a group of 5 risk factors—increased blood pressure, high blood sugar level, excess abdominal fat, high triglyceride level, and unhealthy cholesterol levels—that increase the likelihood of developing heart disease and stroke. Metabolic syndrome has become a growing public health problem worldwide.

Why did the researchers do this particular study?

Previous studies have compared people with metabolic syndrome versus those without it. However, how cardiovascular disease risk would change if a person develops or recovers from metabolic syndrome is not clear. The objective of this population-based study was to evaluate the risk for major cardiovascular diseases among adults who develop or recover from metabolic syndrome.

Who was studied?

9,553,042 adults (aged ≥20 years) who received general health screenings from the National Health Insurance Service of Korea from 2009 to 2014.

How was the study done?

Study participants were divided into the following 4 groups depending on their metabolic syndrome status during 3 consecutive general health examinations: those who chronically remained in metabolic syndrome state, those with newly developed metabolic syndrome, those who recovered from metabolic syndrome, and those who remained free of metabolic syndrome. The researchers compared the risks for developing cardiovascular diseases or strokes among these 4 groups.

What did the researchers find?

Participants who recovered from metabolic syndrome had a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease compared with those who remained in the metabolic syndrome state. On the other hand, participants with newly developed metabolic syndrome had significantly higher risk for cardiovascular disease than those who remained free of the condition.

What were the limitations of the study?

Participants in the 4 groups may be different in ways other than their metabolic syndrome status, and these differences may influence their risk for cardiovascular disease. Also, follow-up was relatively short.

What are the implications of the study?

For people with preexisting metabolic syndrome, it is not too late to actively seek treatment of this condition to reduce risk for cardiovascular disease. People without metabolic syndrome should adopt measures to prevent it to avoid increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

中文翻译：

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随着代谢综合征状态的改变，心血管事件的风险也随之改变。

问题是什么，到目前为止对此有什么了解？

代谢综合症是一组5个危险因素-血压升高，血糖高，腹部脂肪过多，甘油三酸酯高和不健康的胆固醇水平-增加了患心脏病和中风的可能性。代谢综合症已成为全球范围内日益严重的公共卫生问题。

研究人员为什么要进行这项特殊研究？

先前的研究已经将患有代谢综合征的人与没有代谢综合征的人进行了比较。但是，尚不清楚如果一个人发展成代谢综合征或从代谢综合征中恢复过来，心血管疾病的风险将如何改变。这项基于人群的研究的目的是评估在代谢综合征中发展或康复的成年人中重大心血管疾病的风险。

谁学的？

2009年至2014年，接受了韩国国家健康保险局（National Health Insurance Service）进行的常规健康检查的9,553,042名成年人（≥20岁）。

研究如何完成？

在连续3次常规健康检查中，根据研究参与者的代谢综合征状态将他们分为以下4组：长期处于代谢综合征状态的患者，患有新近发展的代谢综合征的患者，从代谢综合征中康复的患者以及保持自由状态的患者代谢综合症。研究人员比较了这4组中患心血管疾病或中风的风险。

研究人员发现了什么？

与那些仍处于代谢综合征状态的参与者相比，从代谢综合征中康复的参与者患心血管疾病的风险降低了。另一方面，患有新近发展的代谢综合征的参与者比没有疾病的参与者罹患心血管疾病的风险明显更高。

研究的局限性是什么？

4组参与者的代谢综合征状态可能有所不同，这些差异可能会影响他们患心血管疾病的风险。而且，随访时间相对较短。

该研究的意义是什么？

对于已患有代谢综合征的人，积极寻求治疗这种疾病以减少患心血管疾病的风险为时不晚。没有代谢综合症的人应采取预防措施，以免增加患心血管疾病的风险。