Metabolic syndrome in chronic kidney disease and renal transplant patients in North India

Aim The cluster of biochemical and clinical abnormalities known as metabolic syndrome (MS) has become a public health problem even in developing countries. Previous studies have shown a graded relationship between MS components and worsening renal function in the general population. The prevalence of MS in non-dialysis-dependent CKD (NDD-CKD) and kidney transplant recipients in the North Indian population is unknown. Methods We studied all patients with stable CKD and with renal transplantation attending the nephrology clinic in a large centre in North India over an eight-week period. All transplant patients had stable graft function for 3 months prior to recruitment. MS was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) 2007 guidelines. A total of 252 (155 NDD-CKD and 97 renal transplant recipients) patients were studied. Results MS was present in 86 (34%) patients. The prevalence of MS was similar in NDD-CKD and transplant patients [60 (39%) vs. 26 (27%), P = 0.052]. Patients with MS were older than those wihout MS (48 ± 12 years-old vs. 40 ± 14 years-old, P < 0.001) and MS was more common in women than in men (59% vs. 26%, P < 0.001). Female gender was an independent risk factor for MS in this population [adjusted OR 5.25 (95% CI: 2.74–10.06)]. With advancing CKD, the prevalence of MS decreased in the NDD-CKD patients. Impaired glucose tolerance and hypertriglyceridemia were independent predictors of MS. Hypertension was not a predictor of MS in NDD-CKD. In transplant recipients, hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension and low HDL cholesterol predicted the risk for MS. Conclusion MS is common in CKD and renal transplant patients in North India. The risk of MS decreases with declining eGFR in CKD patients. Female gender and hypertriglyceridemia independently predict the risk of MS in both NDD-CKD and transplant recipients.