Although numerous studies have described the link between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), no meta-analysis has been carried out on this relationship. Thus, the present study intended to address this limitation. A systematic search was carried out using electronic databases, such as PubMed, CINAHL Plus, Medline, and Web of Science. A sum of 10 studies (n = 9327) was incorporated in the meta-analysis. Compared with non-MetS, MetS was significantly associated with high CAD risk (OR = 4.03, 95% CI = 3.56-4.56). The MetS components were also significantly correlated with high CAD risk (OR = 3.72, 95% CI = 3.22-4.40). The presence of two (OR = 3.93, 95% CI = 2.81-5.49), three (OR = 4.09, 95% CI = 2.85-5.86), four (OR = 4.04, 95% CI = 2.83-5.78), or all five MetS components (OR = 3.92, 95% CI = 3.11-4.93), were significantly associated with a high risk of CAD. MetS and its individual or combined elements were linked with high CAD risk based on contemporary evidence. Thus, the assessment of MetS and its components might help identify people at a higher risk of advancing CAD in the future.
Keywords: CAD; MetS; cardiovascular disease (CVD); coronary artery disease; metabolic syndrome.