Diagnosis and Management of the Metabolic Syndrome

Abstract

This Executive Summary is a synopsis of the full scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), which is intended to provide up to date guidance for professionals on the diagnosis and management of the metabolic syndrome in adults. The metabolic syndrome has received increased attention in the past few years. It consists of multiple, interrelated risk factors of metabolic origin that appear to directly promote the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). This constellation of metabolic risk factors is strongly associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus or the risk for this condition. The metabolic risk factors consist of atherogenic dyslipidemia (elevated triglycerides and apolipoprotein B, small LDL particles, and low HDL cholesterol [HDL-C] concentrations), elevated blood pressure, elevated plasma glucose, a prothrombotic state, and a proinflammatory state. At present, it is not clear whether the metabolic syndrome has a single cause, and it appears that it can be precipitated by multiple underlying risk factors. The most important of these underlying risk factors are abdominal obesity and insulin resistance. Other associated conditions include physical inactivity, aging, hormonal imbalance, and genetic or ethnic predisposition. Prospective population studies show that the metabolic syndrome confers an &2-fold increase in relative risk for ASCVD events, and in individuals without established type 2 diabetes mellitus, an &5-fold increase in risk for developing diabetes as compared with people without the syndrome. This finding implies that the metabolic syndrome imparts a relatively high long-term risk for both ASCVD and diabetes. In the absence of diabetes, the absolute short-term (10-year) risk for major coronary heart disease (CHD) events is not necessarily high. In the Framingham Heart Study data, the 10-year risk for CHD depends on other risk factors in addition to the metabolic syndrome components contained in Framingham scoring …