Determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome or its components in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and evaluate clinical correlates in this population.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized principally by insulin resistance and glucose dysregulations. While Focus on metabolic causes underlying dopaminergic cell loss in PD has increased lately and glucose imbalances have been shown to be present in patients with PD, scarce literature has evaluated the prevalence of the syndrome in PD and their clinical correlates.

We analyzed data from 99 patients with PD diagnosis attending the Neurology outpatient clinic of the University Hospital. Scales that evaluate motor, non-motor, and cognitive function, as well as sleep disorders and quality of life were registered. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. 

Metabolic syndrome was reported in 8% of the population. When subdividing patients based on positivity to MetS criteria, no significant differences in motor and cognitive function, as well as quality of life and sleep disorders were observed between groups. However, patients with MetS showed significantly worse scores in NMS scale compared to patients without MetS (p=0.009). No significant differences in clinical correlates where observed when grouping patients based on which single MetS component was present.

Metabolic syndrome might have an effect on non-motor symptomatology in PD, as patients with MetS showed worse scores in NMS scale. Motor, cognitive function, sleep disorders and quality of life were similar to patients without the syndrome.