called carotid intima-media thickness increased with the number of components of the metabolic syndrome present. The study shows that the "burden of subclinical atherosclerosis in young adults increases with an increasing burden of components of metabolic syndrome," according to the team. High blood pressure and low levels of HDL cholesterol -- the good cholesterol -- are especially powerful predictors of increased carotid intima-media thickness, the team reports. "Because metabolic syndrome characteristics and the magnitude of subclinical atherosclerosis are modifiable, they might be appropriate for intervention in young adults," Tzou and colleagues conclude.
