Clinical analysis of the relationship between cystatin C and metabolic syndrome in the elderly.

OBJECTIVE Studies have shown that both cystatin C and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are associated with inflammation. We set out to investigate the correlation between serum cystatin C levels and MetS in the elderly. METHODS This prospective study was conducted in 380 elderly individuals, including 135 patients with MetS, 142 patients with metabolic disturbance (MetD), and 103 healthy elderly individuals (control group). Waist-hip ratio, waist circumference, waist-height ratio, body mass index (BMI), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse pressure and cystatin C were measured and their mutual relations were analyzed. RESULTS The higher the MetS scores, the higher the serum cystatin C concentration in these patients. Serum cystatin C concentration was closely related to waist-hip ratio, waist circumference, waist-height ratio, BMI, TG, FPG, and blood pressure, not related to LDL-C levels, and negatively correlated with HDL-C levels. Logistic regression analysis indicated that cystatin C, waist-height ratio, waist circumference, FPG, TG, SBP and pulse pressure were significantly associated with MetS (OR between cystatin C and MetS 2.164, 95% CI 1.136-8.259). CONCLUSION Cystatin C was significantly associated with MetS in the elderly. As MetS scores rose, serum cystatin C levels increased.