[Metabolic syndrome and ageing: cognitive impairment and structural alterations of the central nervous system]

The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of vascular risk factors, including: hypertension, insulin resistance, low levels of high density lipoproteins, high levels of triglycerides and obesity. Nowadays the prevalence of the syndrome in the developmental societies increases and it is related to aging.

To review the relation of metabolic syndrome to the cognitive impairment and cerebrovascular alterations during the aging.

The syndrome involves higher risk of vascular pathologies and recently has been related to the pathological aging, including cognitive impairment and structural damage in the central nervous system. Specifically the studies about metabolic syndrome have described a profile of higher general cognitive impairment and higher risk of dementia, as well as concrete neuropsychological deficits probably related to white matter alterations. The independent effects of vascular risk factors in cognition have been studied before as well as their influences in structural integrity of the brain.

Nowadays further research is necessary to know if the metabolic syndrome effects on cognition and brain are greater than the sum of the effect of his components. In the future the knowledge about the cognitive and structural damage due to the syndrome could be useful to design prevention programs and promote the healthy aging.