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Introduction to Diabetes
Metabolic Syndrome
The metabolic syndrome is a term that refers to a complex of cardiovascular risk factors that tend to coexist and complicate and exacerbate each other. Individuals with the metabolic syndrome are at increased risk of developing both cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes are manifestations of the metabolic syndrome and are closely linked to insulin resistance. The components of the metabolic syndrome also include: central obesity, dyslipidemia (abnormal cholesterol/triglyceride/lipid levels), hyperglycemia (elevated glucose levels in the blood), and hypertension (elevated blood pressure). This syndrome is thought to be common, affecting nearly 24% of the US population (47 million people).
