Assessment of metabolic profile in a clinical setting.
OBJECTIVE
The metabolic syndrome, a clustering of abnormalities such as hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and central obesity, is a principal risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western world. There are several definitions of the metabolic syndrome, all aiming at including as many persons at risk as possible. The assessment and, hence, the identification of such persons in a clinical setting is of utmost importance.


RESULTS
Clinicians should document the presence of central obesity, assessed by waist circumference measurement or determination of body composition using dual X-ray absorptiometry or measurement of visceral fat using computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. The presence of dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and arterial hypertension constitutes the full profile of the metabolic syndrome. Nevertheless, elevated uric acid levels or presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver, or the diagnosis of the polycystic ovary syndrome in women of reproductive age, all are reflected in high risk of later occurrence of the full metabolic syndrome and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Although no unified definition for the metabolic syndrome exists, it is important to identify persons at risk, in order to reduce the resultant high morbidity and mortality rates.
Pervanidou
Panagiota
P
First Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Athens, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece. ppervanid@med.uoa.gr
Kanaka-Gantenbein
Christina
C
Chrousos
George P
GP
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio