Decrements in cognitive functioning have been linked to the metabolic syndrome 
(MetS), a risk factor for cardiovascular disease defined by the presence of 
three of the following: elevated blood pressure, increased waist circumference, 
elevated blood glucose, elevated triglycerides, and low high-density lipoprotein 
cholesterol. We examined the relationship between four measures of executive 
functioning (EF) and MetS as diagnosed by National Heart, Lung, and Blood 
Institute-American Heart Association criteria. MetS was examined in a rural 
population of 395 persons with a mean age of 61.3 years, 71.4% women, 37.0% 
Hispanic, 53.7% White non-Hispanic. There was a 61.0% prevalence of MetS. We 
derived a factor score from the four executive function measures which was used 
to compare those with and without the syndrome, as well as any additive effects 
of components of the syndrome. Those with MetS exhibited significantly poorer 
performance than those without the syndrome. However, there was no additive 
effect, having more components of the syndrome was not related to lower 
performance. The presence of MetS was associated with poorer EF in this rural 
cohort of community dwelling volunteers.