The metabolic syndrome and its cardiovascular manifestations

The metabolic syndrome is one of the most discussed topics in the past 15 years. It is a collection of risk factors that includes insulin resistance, central obesity, arterial hypertension, and atherogenic dyslipidemia. The presence of these risk factors increases the probability of developing diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, increasing coronary and cardiovascular mortality. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in the US has increased in the past years due to an increased incidence of obesity and physical inactivity. Diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome can be done with the use of established criteria by the NCEP-ATP III and the WHO. The principal treatment for this condition is to modify life styles, most importantly, diet and exercise. In many cases, this intervention alone is not sufficient to control these risk factors and a more aggressive intervention is required, including drugs directed to each risk factor independently to avoid complications due to the development of cardiovascular disease associated to the syndrome.