Metabolic syndrome is associated with silent ischemic brain lesions

Background and Purpose - Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a recognized risk factor for stroke, but it is unclear whether MetS is also related to subclinical ischemic lesions. We examined the association of MetS with the prevalence of silent brain infarction, periventricular hyperintensity, and subcortical white matter lesions in healthy adults. Methods - We conducted a cross-sectional study in 1151 Japanese healthy subjects. Three types of silent lesions were assessed by MRI scans. MetS was diagnosed using the criteria by the National Cholesterol Education Adult Treatment Panel III. Results - After adjusting for age and other factors, MetS was significantly associated with silent brain infarction, periventricular hyperintensity and subcortical white matter lesions. Among the MetS components, elevated blood pressure was commonly associated with all types of lesions. Dyslipidemia and elevated fasting glucose levels were associated with subcortical white matter lesions and periventricular hyperintensities, respectively. Positive trends were observed between the number of MetS components and prevalence of silent lesions. Conclusions - MetS is associated with the prevalence of silent lesions independent of other risk factors. The clustering of MetS components tends to increase the prevalence of silent lesions.