Causal role of psychosocial factors in the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome
Document Actions
This population-based prospective study, called the Healthy Women Study, was designed to evaluate whether psychosocial factors linked to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes were able to prospectively predict the risk of the metabolic syndrome as defined by the World Health Organization, the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III, and the International Diabetes Federation clinical criteria. For women who were free of the metabolic syndrome at baseline, the risk of developing the metabolic syndrome (average follow-up of 15 years) varied from 1.21- to 2.12-fold for more severe depressive symptoms or very stressful life events (P<0.05), regardless of the clinical criteria used to define the metabolic syndrome. Based on these results, the authors conclude that psychosocial factors linked to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes may play a causal role in the chain of events leading to the metabolic syndrome.
Abstract
