Metabolic syndrome and cardiometabolic risk: an update

Several lines of evidence show that metabolic syndrome represents an important therapeutic challenge for the forthcoming years. This is because of the epidemic burden of this multifaceted disease, the adverse impact on cardiovascular risk, as well as the problems posed in its management. This paper will provide an up-to-date report on metabolic syndrome and cardiometabolic risk, focusing in particular on the epidemiological profile of the disease, the impact on risk profile and target organ damage as well as some of the main pathophysiological features of the condition. The general therapeutic recommendations, provided by the 2007 European Society of Hypertension/European Society of Cardiology Guidelines, will be briefly discussed.