Why some people have heart problems even if their cholesterol is fine
The metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular risk in diabetic and nondiabetic patients.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Insulin resistance predicted vascular events even after adjusting for metabolic syndrome and diabetes.
Many assume insulin resistance is just part of metabolic syndrome or a consequence of diabetes—but this shows it adds independent risk, even when those conditions are controlled for.
Practical Takeaways
Get tested for HOMA-IR or fasting insulin if you have belly fat, high blood pressure, or prediabetes—even if your cholesterol is normal.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Insulin resistance predicted vascular events even after adjusting for metabolic syndrome and diabetes.
Many assume insulin resistance is just part of metabolic syndrome or a consequence of diabetes—but this shows it adds independent risk, even when those conditions are controlled for.
Practical Takeaways
Get tested for HOMA-IR or fasting insulin if you have belly fat, high blood pressure, or prediabetes—even if your cholesterol is normal.
Publication
Journal
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism
Year
2005
Authors
C. Saely, S. Aczél, T. Marte, P. Langer, G. Hoefle, H. Drexel
Related Content
Claims (4)
Metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and obesity are stronger predictors of cardiovascular risk than LDL cholesterol levels alone.
Even if someone doesn’t have full metabolic syndrome, having high insulin resistance (a sign their body doesn’t respond well to insulin) still raises their risk of heart attacks and strokes by about 50%.
Having metabolic syndrome and having insulin resistance are two different things — and both of them, on their own, can tell doctors that someone is at higher risk for heart problems, even if you already know about the other.
People with metabolic syndrome — a group of conditions like high blood pressure, belly fat, and high blood sugar — are nearly three times more likely to have heart problems or strokes, even if they don’t have diabetes.