Condition
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a clustering of cardiometabolic risk factors that occur together more often than chance — and that together confer a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes than any one in isolation.
Harmonized criteria
A diagnosis typically requires three or more of:
- Elevated waist circumference (population-specific thresholds).
- Triglycerides ≥ 150 mg/dL (or on drug treatment).
- HDL cholesterol < 40 mg/dL (men) or < 50 mg/dL (women) (or on drug treatment).
- Blood pressure ≥ 130/85 mmHg (or on drug treatment).
- Fasting glucose ≥ 100 mg/dL (or on drug treatment).
Why the clustering matters
The components share common biological roots — insulin resistance, visceral adiposity, and chronic low-grade inflammation — and tend to move together in response to intervention. Improvements in one frequently produce improvements in others.
Approach
Management focuses on the underlying drivers (weight, physical activity, nutrition, sleep) and on treating individual components per relevant guidelines (lipids, blood pressure, glucose). Pharmacologic and procedural options may be appropriate in selected patients.