Metabolic syndrome and left ventricular hypertrophy in a general population. Results from the Gubbio Study

Aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS), diagnosed according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria and its relationship with echocardiographic parameters of cardiac structure and function. The study was performed in 707 subjects, age 45–54 years, of the Gubbio Population Study who underwent a comprehensive examination including measurement of body size, blood pressure (BP) and heart rate, 12-lead electrocardiogram, Doppler echocardiography, standardized blood and urine laboratory tests. One hundred and fifty-three subjects were found to have MS, which was more frequent among hypertensive patients than normotensive controls (36.2 vs 13.7%, P 130/85 mm Hg) and triglycerides (⩾150 mg/dl) were the most frequently observed components of the syndrome, since their prevalence averaged 75% of those with the syndrome. Left ventricular mass (95.6±22 vs 86.4±22 g/m 2 ; P