Metabolic Syndrome

metabolic syndrome, also called Syndrome X, syndrome characterized by a cluster of metabolic abnormalities associated with an increased risk for coronary heart disease (CHD), diabetes, stroke, and certain types of cancer. The condition was first named Syndrome X in 1988 by American endocrinologist Gerald Reaven, who identified insulin resistance and a subset of secondary conditions as major risk factors for CHD. The diagnosis of metabolic syndrome requires the presence of multiple—typically at least three—CHD risk factors, which include abdominal obesity, decreased levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, elevated blood triglycerides, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance. Other indications associated with the syndrome include elevated levels of C-reactive protein, a substance involved in mediating systemic inflammatory responses, and elevated levels of fibrinogen, a protein essential for the formation of blood clots.

Metabolic syndrome is common, affecting nearly 25 percent of adults in the United States and the United Kingdom, with the prevalence of the condition being especially high in adults over age 60 and in individuals who are overweight or obese. Insulin resistance, which is believed to play a central role in metabolic syndrome, renders tissues insensitive to insulin and therefore unable to store glucose. Insulin resistance can be caused by obesity, lipodystrophy (atrophy of adipose tissue resulting in fat deposition in nonadipose tissues), physical inactivity, and genetic factors. Furthermore, metabolic syndrome can be exacerbated by poor diet (e.g., excessive carbohydrate or fat consumption) in susceptible people and has been associated with Stein-Leventhal syndrome (also called polycystic ovary syndrome), sleep apnea, and fatty liver.

Individuals with metabolic syndrome benefit from regular physical activity and weight reduction, along with a diet low in carbohydrates and saturated fat and enriched with unsaturated fat. Patients with moderate to severe symptoms may require treatment with drugs. For example, high blood pressure may be treated with antihypertensive drugs, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (e.g., lisinopril) or diuretics (e.g., chlorthalidone), and patients with high cholesterol levels may be treated with statins or nicotinic acid. In addition, patients at high risk of heart disease may benefit from low-dose aspirin to prevent blood clots, whereas those at high risk of diabetes may require injections of insulin or administration of metformin to lower blood glucose levels.