Interleukin-18 is a strong predictor of cardiovascular events in elderly men with the metabolic syndrome: synergistic effect of inflammation and hyperglycemia.

Description

This study investigated some inflammatory markers as potential predictors of cardiovascular events in a population of elderly men with/without the metabolic syndrome (n=563). Results of this study revealed that interleukin-18 was an independent predictor of cardiovascular events in individuals with the metabolic syndrome and also in individuals with elevated fasting glucose concentrations. This finding suggests that inflammation and hyperglycemia might both have deleterious effects on cardiovascular risk.