Description

Metabolic syndrome is a variable cluster of characteristics
associated with increased cardiovascular risk. These include
different combinations of insulin resistance, impaired glucose
tolerance or overt diabetes mellitus, abdominal obesity,
dyslipidemia and microalbuminuria. Low-grade
inflammation and hypercoagulable state are also associated
with the syndrome.

Mechanisms involved in the development of the
syndrome include toxicity of metabolites generated in
insulin-resistant pathways and, in particular, generation of
the reactive oxygen species. The toxic metabolites exert
their effects by affecting cellular signaling systems.
Inflammatory phenomena constitute a process common to
obesity, glucose intolerance and atherogenesis.
Dyslipidaemia in the metabolic syndrome involves increased
metabolic flux of triglyceride-rich particles and low HDL
concentration but it is associated with normal plasma LDL.
This article also describes a sequence of events linking body
energy metabolism with atherogenesis.