Background: Increased resting heart rate (RHR) may be associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity. Our aim was to explore the possibility that increased RHR is associated with the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a sample of apparently healthy individuals and those with cardiovascular risk factors.

BackgroundOnly few studies of living kidney donors have included controls that were similarly healthy, including excellent kidney function.MethodsIn this study, we aimed to estimate long term metabolic and renal outcome in a cohort of 211 living donors compared to two control groups: paired-matched controls, and another control group of 2534 healthy individuals with excellent kidney function.ResultsDonors presented with higher estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR): (97.6 ± 15.2 vs 96.1 ± 12.2 vs 94.5 ± 12.4 ml/min/1.73m2) and lower urine albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR) (4.3 ± 5.9 vs 5.9 ± 6.1 vs 6.1 ± 6.9 mg/g) for donors, matched controls and healthy controls, respectively (p <  0.001). In a mean follow up period of 5.5 for donors, donors presented with positive eGFR slopes during the first 3 years post donation, followed by negative slopes, compared to constantly negative slopes presented in the control group (p <  0.05). The variables related to the slope were being a donor, baseline eGFR, Body Mass Index (BMI) and age but not eGFR on the last day of follow-up or increased delta UACR. There was a significant increase in UACR in donors, as well as a higher rate of albuminuria, associated with a longer time since donation, higher pre-donation UACR and higher pre-donation BMI. Healthy controls had a lower BMI at baseline and gained less weight during the follow up period. Donors and controls had similar incidence of new onset diabetes mellitus and hypertension, as well as similar delta systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Donors were more likely to develop new onset metabolic syndrome, even after adjustment for age, gender and BMI. The higher incidence of metabolic syndrome resulted mainly from increased triglycerides and impaired fasting glucose criteria. However, prevalence of major cardiovascular events was not higher in this group.ConclusionsDonors are at increased risk to develop features of the metabolic syndrome in addition to the expected mild reduction of GFR and increased urine albumin excretion. Future studies are needed to explore whether addressing those issues will impact post donation morbidity and mortality.

BackgroundMetabolic syndrome (MetS) is frequently characterized by elevated liver enzymes, including gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Our objective was to evaluate the range of prevalence of MetS in apparently healthy individuals whose liver enzyme concentrations were all within-normal-range.MethodsWe have performed a cross sectional analysis on participants of the Tel-Aviv medical center inflammation survey (TAMCIS) recruited between the years 2003-2009. Analyzed were a cohort of 6,561 men and 3,389 women.ResultsThe prevalence of MetS increased significantly from the first quintile to the fifth for both GGT and ALT, all the five quintiles being in the normal range. Logistic regression analysis for the presence of MetS showed crude odds ratios of 2.7 and 2.4 between the first and fourth quintiles and 3.6 and 3.2 for the fifth quintile in men and women respectively for ALT. For GGT the respective odds being 3.6 and 3.2 for the fourth quintile and 3.9 and 3.4 for the fifth quintile in men and women, respectively.ConclusionsA relatively high prevalence of MetS was noted in a cohort of apparently healthy individuals with liver enzyme concentrations within-normal-limits. Practical consequences include the need to follow up these enzyme concentrations as continuous variables and to take into consideration that even relatively small elevations within the normal range might reflect the presence of dysmetabolism.