A recent analysis has revealed that when one spouse meets the criteria for metabolic syndrome, both partners face a substantially higher risk of developing the condition. (Image courtesy of Kobiz Media)
SEOUL, Jun. 10 (Korea Bizwire) – Metabolic syndrome, characterized by the simultaneous occurrence of abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and dyslipidemia, may not be a severe condition itself.
However, its importance lies in the significant increase it causes in the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes over time, underscoring the necessity for prevention and early treatment.
While the precise cause of metabolic syndrome remains unclear, known contributing factors include insulin resistance, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle leading to physical inactivity, hormonal imbalances, sleep disorders, and direct or indirect smoking exposure.
A recent analysis has revealed that when one spouse meets the criteria for metabolic syndrome, both partners face a substantially higher risk of developing the condition.
This finding reinforces the phenomenon where couples’ disease risks converge due to shared dietary habits and lifestyles.
According to the latest issue of the international journal Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, a research team led by professor Lee Ga-young from the Department of Family Medicine at Inje University Busan Paik Hospital analyzed data from 1,824 couples who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2019 and 2021.
Their findings revealed that at least one in ten couples (10.7%) had metabolic syndrome together.
The study examined whether the concordance of metabolic syndrome between spouses was associated with their socioeconomic characteristics, lifestyle habits, and nutritional intake.
The results showed that the risk of both spouses developing metabolic syndrome increased by a minimum of 4% and a maximum of 61% under conditions such as higher average age, lower educational levels, poorer self-reported health status, lack of strength training, and excessive carbohydrate intake for both partners.
When one spouse had metabolic syndrome, the risk for the other spouse increased by 1.5 times. Among individual lifestyle factors, a wife’s smoking was identified as a factor that increased her husband’s risk of metabolic syndrome by 2.5 times.
Conversely, a husband’s low educational and economic status, as well as excessive carbohydrate intake, were found to increase his wife’s risk of metabolic syndrome by 1.3 to 1.6 times.
Lee explained, “The findings of this study suggest that not only does the risk of metabolic syndrome increase when couples share similar socioeconomic environments and dietary habits, but a spouse’s lifestyle directly contributes to the other partner’s risk of developing metabolic syndrome.”
The convergence of health risks between spouses extends beyond metabolic syndrome. A study published in the international journal Clinical Hypertension (2022) by a research team from Yonsei University College of Medicine analyzed 6,030 middle-aged couples, and found that when one spouse had good cardiovascular health indicators, the likelihood of the other spouse having good indicators was nearly 1.5 times higher compared to when the first spouse’s indicators were poor.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
