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
This study looked at people getting heart tests and found that having too much belly fat, high blood sugar, and trouble using insulin can hurt your heart—even if your cholesterol isn't bad.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 552 / 72
Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This study looked at people getting heart tests and found that having too much belly fat, high blood sugar, and trouble using insulin can hurt your heart—even if your cholesterol isn't bad.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 552 / 72
Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Publication
Authors
Saely CH, Aczel S, Marte T, Langer P, Hoefle G, Drexel H
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.