Metabolic syndrome; frequency and its relationship with variable parameters in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has many extrapulmonary comorbidities, and metabolic syndrome (MetS) is one of them. Scant data are available on MetS in Egyptian patients with COPD. Objective The purpose of the current research was to determine the frequency and clinical characteristics of MetS among Egyptian patients with stable COPD. Patients and methods A prospective study including 70 (64 males and six females) patients with stable COPD was conducted. Clinical assessment, pulmonary function, and other laboratory studies were performed. Results MetS was present in 31 patients with COPD (44.3%). BMI and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were significantly higher in patients with COPD with MetS than those without MetS (P=0.02 and 0.01, respectively). Age of the patients, duration of COPD, grade of dyspnea, and pulmonary function tests had no significant difference between those with MetS versus those without it. There was a significant negative correlation between plasma triglyceride level, as the only one of the variables of MetS, and some of parameters of pulmonary function test. Conclusion MetS is relatively frequent among patients with COPD. Plasma triglyceride level is the only parameter of MetS to have a significant correlation with pulmonary function tests. Apart from BMI and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, no other parameter among patients with COPD has a significant relationship with MetS.