What Is Metabolic Syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of risk factors linked to overweight and obesity. These risk factors increase your chance of having heart disease and other health problems, such as diabetes and stroke.

The term "metabolic" refers to the biochemical processes involved in the body's normal functioning. Risk factors are traits, conditions, or habits that increase your chance of getting a disease.

In this article, "heart disease" refers to coronary heart disease (CHD). CHD is a condition in which a fatty substance called plaque (plak) builds up inside the coronary (heart) arteries. Plaque narrows the arteries and reduces blood flow to your heart muscle. This can lead to chest pain, a heart attack, heart damage, or even death.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Metabolic syndrome is becoming more and more common in the United States. Researchers are not sure whether the syndrome is due to one single cause, but all of the syndrome's risk factors are related to obesity.
Metabolic syndrome is associated with many conditions and risk factors. The two most important risk factors are:
• Extra weight around the middle of the body (central obesity). The body may be described as "apple-shaped."
• Insulin resistance, in which the body cannot use insulin effectively. Insulin is needed to help control the amount of sugar in the body.
Insulin helps blood sugar (glucose) enter cells. If you have insulin resistance, your body doesn't respond to insulin, and blood sugar cannot get into cells. As a result, the body produces more and more insulin. Insulin and blood sugar levels rise, affecting kidney function and raising the level of blood fats, such as triglycerides.
Other risk factors include:
• Aging
• Genes that make you more likely to develop this condition (genetic predisposition)
• Hormonal changes
• Lack of exercise

Symptoms
• Extra weight around your waist (central or abdominal obesity)
Signs and tests
According to the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, metabolic syndrome is present if you have three or more of the following signs:
• Blood pressure equal to or higher than 130/85 mmHg
• Fasting blood sugar (glucose) equal to or higher than 100 mg/dL
• Large waist circumference (length around the waist):
• Men - 40 inches or more
• Women - 35 inches or more
• Low HDL cholesterol:
• Men - under 40 mg/dL
• Women - under 50 mg/dL
• Triglycerides equal to or higher than 150 mg/dL

Tests that may be done to diagnose metabolic syndrome include:
• Blood pressure measurement
• Glucose test
• HDL cholesterol level
• LDL cholesterol level
• Total cholesterol level
• Triglyceride level

Metabolic Syndrome Treated?
Healthy lifestyle changes are the first line of treatment for metabolic syndrome. Lifestyle changes include losing weight, doing physical activity regularly, following a heart healthy diet, and quitting smoking.

If lifestyle changes aren't enough, your doctor may prescribe medicines. Medicines are used to treat and control risk factors such as high blood pressure, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, and high blood sugar.

Blood-thinning medicines, such as aspirin, also may be used to reduce the risk of blood clots. Excessive blood clotting is a condition that often occurs with metabolic syndrome