Familial Combined Hyperlipidemia, Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiovascular Disease

Our aim was to investigate the relationship between metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease (i.e., survivors of myocardial infarction) in patients with familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCH). We compared a group of 20 male patients with FCH who had survived a myocardial infarction with two other groups matched for age and body mass index, comprising 20 individuals with FCH who had not had a myocardial infraction and 20 control subjects. Plasma lipid, glucose, and insulin levels were determined. Metabolic syndrome was judged to present on the basis of World Health Organization (WHO) and National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult treatment panel (NCEP-ATPIII) criteria. Differences between the groups were evaluated using non-parametric tests and the association between ischemic coronary disease and other parameters was assessed by logistic regression analysis. According to WHO criteria, the metabolic syndrome was present in 19 FCH patients who had survived a myocardial infarction, in 11 individuals with FCH who had not had a myocardial infraction, and in six control subject ( P