[Prevalence and characteristics of metabolic syndrome in adults admitted to a health care center for ischemic stroke].

BACKGROUND: Chile has experienced an increase in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) among the adult population. MS is proposed as a predictor for the occurrence of vascular defects causing ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVE: to determine the frequency and characteristics of MS in a sample of adults after an ischemic ACV.

METHODS: a descriptive, cross-sectional study that consisted of reviewing variables related to MS in 180 adult patients admitted to a clinic for an ischemic stroke between the years 2011 and 2017. Weight and height measurements were considered to obtain BMI and nutritional status. Waist circumference (CC), systolic (PAS) and diastolic blood pressure (PAD), total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), and glycemia were also measured.

RESULTS: 62.8 % of the sample had MS. BMI (CI, 28.5-29.9; p = 0.001), CC (CI, 101.3-105.3; p = 0.001), PAS (CI, 147.4-155.7; p = 0.000), PAD (CI, 87.7-93.6; p = 0.000), glycemia (CI, 132.9-159.2; p = 0.000), and TG (CI, 181.2-228.8; p = 0.000) were higher in the group with SM. HDL-cholesterol (CI, 35.5-39.2; p = 0.000) was lower in this same group. Older age (p = 0.007), male gender (p = 0.017), and excess nutritional status (p = 0.000) had a positive association with MS. Of the subjects with MS, there were no differences obtained when comparing the components that define MS between men and women.

CONCLUSION: our findings reveal a high frequency of MS in adults admitted to a clinic for ischemic stroke.