Social relations and the metabolic syndrome in middle-aged Swedish women

Background Both social isolation and the metabolic syndrome are independent ly associated with greater than normal cardiovascular risk. Design A population-based cross-sectional study of middle-aged Swedish wome n. Methods The study group consisted of 300 healthy women (aged 31-65 years) w ho were representative of women living in the greater Stockholm area. Socia l isolation was measured by using a condensed Version of the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List. Health behaviours were assessed and a full serum-l ipid-level and haemostatic profile was obtained by standardized methods, Th e metabolic syndrome was defined as the presence of two or more of these co mponents: fasting serum level of glucose greater than or equal to 7.0 mmol/ l, arterial blood pressure greater than or equal to 160/90 mmHg, fasting se rum level of triglycerides greater than or equal to 1.7 mmol/l or high-dens ity lipoprotein < 1.0 mmol/l, or both, and central obesity (waist:hip ratio > 0.85 or body mass index > 30 kg/m(2), or both), Results After adjustment for age, menopausal status, educational level, smo king, exercise habits and consumption of alcohol, the risk ratio for the me tabolic syndrome for women in the lower compared with women in the upper so cial-support quartile was 3.5 (95% confidence interval 1.1-11.4), whereas t hat of women in the two middle quartiles was 2.2 (95% confidence interval 0 .67-7.2; P for trend 0.02). Conclusions Social isolation was associated with the metabolic syndrome for these middle-aged women. The findings suggest that the metabolic syndrome and its components may be mediators of the reported association between soc ial isolation and cardiovascular disease, (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wi lkins.