Relationship between metabolic syndrome and aging male symptoms in middle-aged males in Korea

Background: Metabolic syndrome is regarded as a risk factor of cardiovascular disease. We observed and compared aging males symptoms (AMS) between healthy and metabolic syndrome patients in middle-aged Korean men to evaluate clinical significance of AMS. Methods: From May 2009 to July 2009, 171 middle-aged men (over 40 years-old) who visited a health promotion center of a university hospital in Gyeonggi Province were enrolled in study. The subjects were divided into two groups; metabolic syndrome (N = 87) vs. control (N = 84) and measured the aging male symptoms (AMS) scale. AMS were also grouped according to its severity. Results: There were no significant differences except, weight, body mass index between two groups. In AMS severity, 'severe' group show higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome. And the group of metabolic syndrome gets higher AMS score than control. Among the five constitutive factors of metabolic syndrome, the prevalence of fasting blood sugar (≥ 100 mg/dL) and triglyceride (≥ 150 mg/dL) level is higher 'moderates' and 'severe' groups in AMS severity. In the subscale analysis of AMS, there are significant differences between two groups in sexual and somato-vegitative axis, but are not in psychological axis. With age-adjusted analysis, the results still show same trend. Conclusion: It might be necessary to approach aging males symptoms comprehensively during the management of metabolic syndrome in middle-aged men. And it could be helpful in treatment to recognize and control metabolic syndrome factors for the patients with severe aging males symptoms.