Objective: To study the relationship between metabolic syndrome (MS) and anterior circulation infarction (ACI).
Methods: 271 ACI patients (166 men and 105 women) who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of China Guideline for Cerebrovascular Disease Prevention and Treatment were enrolled. 147 control subjects (67 men and 80 women) without the clinical signs of cerebral infarction but with detailed case history, physical examination and CT or MRI were also selected. The prevalence and risk of MS were observed in the ACI and control group. MS was defined with the modified criteria in Chinese.
Results: The prevalence of MS in the ACI group and control subjects was respectively 43.17% and 19.05%. The prevalence of MS was significantly higher in the ACI group as compared with the control subjects (P < 0.01). The component level of MS were significantly different between the two groups (P < 0.05). MS was associated with a 3.7 fold higher risk of ACI (P < 0.01).
Conclusions: There is a close relationship between MS and ACI. MS is an important risk factor of ACI.