Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a group of metabolic risk factors that occur in a single individual. These metabolic factors include insulin resistance, hypertension (high blood pressure), cholesterol abnormalities, and an increased risk for clotting. Patients are most often overweight or obese. Metabolic syndrome is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes due to the presence of insulin resistance and abnormal function and distribution of body fat with central obesity, i.e. fat mainly in the trunk and abdomen.

Insulin resistance refers to the diminished ability of cells to respond to the action of insulin in promoting the transport of glucose (sugar) from blood into muscles and other tissues.

Metabolic syndrome is defined by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) 2006 as:

Central obesity :waist circumference is over 90cm (34.5inches) in men, and over 80cm (31.5inches) in women of Asian populations.

Together with any two of the following

Reduced HDL cholesterol: <1.03mmol/L in men, <1.29mmol/L in women

Raised triglycerides: >1.7mmol/L

Raised blood pressure: systolic BP >130 or diastolic BP >85mmHg, or treatment of previously diagnosed hypertension

Raised fasting plasma glucose: FBG > 5.6mmol/L, or previously diagnosed type 2 diabetes