[Pathophysiologic principles of metabolic syndrome. Consequences for early diagnosis and prevention]

The metabolic syndrome (syndrome X) is characterised by an association of elevated insulin levels, a tendency to obesity of the android type, a disturbance of lipid metabolism with elevated triglyceride levels and commonly associated hypertension. The underlying common cause of this syndrome appears to be insulin resistance of the skeletal muscles, which is related in particular to the non-oxidative glucose utilization on the part of the muscle. The molecular cause of this syndrome has not been clarified, but a defect in the signal transduction chain between the insulin receptor and glycogen synthase is suspected. Epidemiological studies have shown that the metabolic syndrome may be considered a preliminary stage of manifest type II diabetes. In addition, it appears to play a major role in the development of cardiovascular complications in certain high-risk groups.