Serum creatinine levels and risk of metabolic syndrome in a middle-aged and older Chinese population

Background: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) persistently increased. Several studies have found serum creatinine (SCr) concentrations related to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The relationship between SCr concentrations and MetS is unknown. Methods: We measured SCr concentrations and MetS in 22363 individuals (10,151 males, 12,212 females) from the Dongfeng-Tongji Cohort in Shiyan, China from 2008 to 2009. Results: The prevalence of MetS was 30.6% in the study population. In the multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analyses, higher SCr concentrations were associated with a higher risk of MetS (P trend < 0.0001). Compared with the lowest extreme quintiles, subjects with the highest quintiles had 1.34 fold risk of MetS (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22-1.47). The SCr concentrations were also associated with the individual component of MetS. In addition, higher SCr concentrations were associated with higher risk of MetS with more components. Conclusions: There is a graded positive association between the SCr concentrations and MetS risk in a middle aged and older Chinese population. Higher SCr concentrations, even within normal ranges, were associated with higher risk of MetS. The SCr might be a useful indicator of MetS and its related diseases. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.