Association of metabolic syndrome in patients of vitiligo

The metabolic syndrome is the term used to describe a constellations of metabolic derangements that includes insulin resistance, hypertension, Dyslipidemia, central or visceral obesity, type 2 DM & accelerated cardiovascular disease. An oxidative imbalance is responsible for the development of both metabolic syndrome & vitiligo. In the present study we have evaluated the association of metabolic syndrome with Vitiligo. In this observational cross-sectional study we selected 40 subjects attending skin OPD with age matched 40 controls and assessed the waist circumference, blood pressure, serum triglyceride level, cholesterol and high-density cholesterol along with Fasting blood glucose level at tertiary care Hospital. A detailed history including age, gender, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, smoking and onset of vitiligo was taken. The MetS criteria were defined by National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III 2005 (ATP III) guidelines. We identified metabolic syndrome in 15 subjects with vitiligo and 6 subjects without vitiligo. The P value came 0.022 which is statistically significant. Active vitiligo, segmental vitiligo and increased duration of vitiligo were determined to be independent predictors of metabolic syndrome. The risk of developing metabolic syndrome is increased in patients of vitiligo. Screening and the close follow up of the patients of vitiligo with clinical feature such as in unstable, segmental vitiligo with increased duration is necessary for the early diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome to reduce the morbidity & mortality of the patients