Metabolic syndrome in peritoneal dialysis patients: choice of diagnostic criteria and prognostic implications.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

In the general population, metabolic syndrome (MES) is associated with cardiovascular risk. However, the definition of MES and its prognostic implication among patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) remain controversial.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: We studied 329 prevalent PD patients from April 2008 to April 2011 and compared four sets of diagnostic criteria: the original World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria, the original National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) criteria, and the modified NCEP criteria. Nutritional status, body composition, and arterial pulse-wave velocity were measured. Patients were followed for 31.7 ± 15.5 months.

RESULTS

Among the 329 patients, 175 (53.2%) fulfilled the WHO criteria, 177 (53.8%) the IDF criteria, 199 (60.5%) the original NCEP criteria, and 218 (66.3%) the modified NCEP criteria. The agreement among the four sets of criteria was fair to moderate (Cohen κ=0.35-0.58). Patients with MES defined by all four criteria had higher adipose tissue mass than the others, although the difference in adipose tissue mass was most pronounced with the IDF criteria (MES versus no MES, 18.2 ± 7.9 versus 10.7 ± 5.9 kg; P<0.001). Patients with MES, as defined by the IDF criteria, were hospitalized longer than those without MES (3.82 [interquartile range, 0.00-12.61] versus 1.07 [interquartile range, 0.00-6.43]) days per year of follow-up; P=0.01). Overall survival, cardiovascular survival, or technique survival did not differ between patients with and without MES, irrespective of the diagnostic criteria after adjustment for diabetic status.

CONCLUSION

In patients undergoing PD, overall survival, cardiovascular survival, and technique survival did not differ between patients with and without MES, irrespective of diabetic status and diagnostic criteria. Further studies are needed to establish a new definition or clinical scoring system for risk stratification of PD patients.