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Epidemiology and Population Health

Incidence of components of metabolic syndrome in the metabolically healthy obese over 9 years follow-up: the Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities study

International Journal of Obesity volume 42, pages 295–301 (2018)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background:

Some obese adults are not afflicted by the metabolic abnormalities often associated with obesity (the ‘metabolically healthy obese’ (MHO)); however, they may be at increased risk of developing cardiometabolic abnormalities in the future. Little is known about the relative incidence of individual components of metabolic syndrome (MetSyn).

Methods:

We used data from a multicenter, community-based cohort aged 45–64 years at recruitment (the Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities study) to examine the first appearance of any MetSyn component, excluding waist circumference. Body mass index (BMI, kg m−2) and cardiometabolic data were collected at four triennial visits. Our analysis included 3969 adults who were not underweight and free of the components of MetSyn at the initial visit. Participants were classified as metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW), overweight (MHOW) and MHO at each visit. Adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals were estimated with proportional hazards regression models.

Results:

The relative rate of developing each risk factor was higher among MHO than MHNW, with the strongest association noted for elevated fasting glucose (MHO vs MHNW, HR: 2.33 (1.77, 3.06)). MHO was also positively associated with elevated triglycerides (HR: 1.63 (1.27, 2.09)), low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HR: 1.68 (1.32, 2.13)) and elevated blood pressure (HR: 1.54 (1.26, 1.88)). A similar, but less pronounced pattern was noted among the MHOW vs MHNW.

Conclusions:

We conclude that even among apparently healthy individuals, obesity and overweight are related to more rapid development of at least one cardiometabolic risk factor, and that elevations in blood glucose develop most rapidly.

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Acknowledgements

The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study is carried out as a collaborative study supported by National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute contracts (HHSN268201100005C, HHSN268201100006C, HHSN268201100007C, HHSN268201100008C, HHSN268201100009C, HHSN268201100010C, HHSN268201100011C, and HHSN268201100012C). We thank the staff and participants of the ARIC study for their important contributions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA

    P T Bradshaw

  2. Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    K R Reynolds & J Stevens

  3. Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA

    L E Wagenknecht

  4. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    C E Ndumele

  5. Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    J Stevens

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Correspondence to P T Bradshaw.

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Bradshaw, P., Reynolds, K., Wagenknecht, L. et al. Incidence of components of metabolic syndrome in the metabolically healthy obese over 9 years follow-up: the Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities study. Int J Obes 42, 295–301 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2017.249

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