CONCLUSION

Metabolic syndrome is a common health problem and has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and around the world. Having metabolic syndrome increases the risk that a person may develop diabetes and cardiovascular disease, especially in men over 45 years of age and women over 55 years of age. The syndrome is the combination of:

• Insulin resistance
• Excess intra-abdominal fat
• Unhealthy levels of fats in the blood (high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol)
• High blood pressure

Treatment of metabolic syndrome begins with therapeutic lifestyle changes. Weight loss, improved diet, and regular physical exercise are important elements of the initial treatment program as well as key measures for prevention. Medications may be recommended to treat those components of metabolic syndrome (e.g., high blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia) that do not improve sufficiently with therapeutic lifestyle changes alone. More drastic measures to reduce obesity include different forms of bariatric surgery.