Metabolic syndrome (MetS), also referred to as the insulin resistance syndrome or syndrome X, refers to a constellation of metabolic abnormalities that tend to cluster together and lead to a substantial increase in risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although manifestations of MetS have been recognized since the 1920s, it was first described as a syndrome by Gerald Reaven in 1988. The most commonly used definition of MetS in the United States is the one proposed by the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATPIII). The definition was first published in 2001 and then updated in 2004 (see table 52.1); however, there are other definitions as well (see table 52.2). Most definitions include insulin resistance (IR) or abdominal obesity as the essential criterion. The NCEP definition does not require the presence of IR or obesity as an essential criterion. However, most individuals diagnosed with MetS according to the NCEP definition are both obese and insulin resistant.
The insulin resistance syndrome: implications for thrombosis and cardiovascular disease
