What is "metabolic syndrome"

n. A combination of medical disorders that increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Metabolic syndrome is a clustering of at least three of the five (unfold into nine combination) following medical conditions:

• abdominal (central) obesity (cf. TOFI)
• elevated blood pressure
• elevated fasting plasma glucose
• high serum triglycerides
• low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels

Metabolic syndrome is associated with the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Some studies have shown the prevalence in the USA to be an estimated 34% of the adult population, and the prevalence increases with age.

Metabolic syndrome and prediabetes may be the same disorder, just diagnosed by a different set of biomarkers.

The syndrome is thought to be caused by an underlying disorder of energy utilization and storage. The cause of the syndrome is an area of on-going medical research.