ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency of metabolic syndrome in dermatomyositis (DM) patients and to analyze the possible association of metabolic syndrome with traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and DM-related clinical and laboratory features. METHODS: The present cross-sectional single-center study included 84 DM patients and 105 healthy controls. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. RESULTS: The median age was similar in both the DM and control groups (41.5 and 42.0 years, respectively; P = 0.378), with a comparable predominance of women (P = 0.904) and white race (P = 0.623). The DM patients had a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome (41.7% versus 7.0%; P < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (17.9% versus 1.0%; P < 0.001), stroke (4.8% versus 0%; P = 0.024), and family history of CVD (23.8% versus 8.6%; P = 0.004). However, the frequency of sedentarism, hypothyroidism, smoking, and alcohol intake was similar in both groups (P > 0.05). Further analysis of the DM patients with (n = 35) and without (n = 49) metabolic syndrome revealed that the patients with this complication were older (mean ± SD age 50.0 ± 14.5 years versus 40.9 ± 14.6 years; P = 0.006) and had a similar disease duration (P = 0.925) and higher prevalence of systemic arterial hypertension prior to the onset of disease symptoms (54.3% versus 10.2%; P < 0.001). In a multivariate analysis, only hypertension diagnosed prior to the disease was associated with metabolic syndrome (odds ratio 10.47 [95% confidence interval 2.62-44.81]). CONCLUSION: Metabolic syndrome is highly prevalent in DM, and prior hypertension seems to be a major determinant of its development, while disease- and therapy-related factors do not appear to play a relevant role.