title: Metabolic syndrome: a sympathetic disease?
abstract: Metabolic syndrome is associated with adverse health outcomes and is a growing problem worldwide. Although efforts to harmonise the definition of metabolic syndrome have helped to better understand the prevalence and the adverse outcomes associated with the disorder on a global scale, the mechanisms underpinning the metabolic changes that define it are incompletely understood. Accumulating evidence from laboratory and human studies suggests that activation of the sympathetic nervous system has an important role in metabolic syndrome. Indeed, treatment strategies commonly recommended for patients with metabolic syndrome, such as diet and exercise to induce weight loss, are associated with sympathetic inhibition. Pharmacological and device-based approaches to target activation of the sympathetic nervous system directly are available and have provided evidence to support the important part played by sympathetic regulation, particularly for blood pressure and glucose control. Preliminary evidence is encouraging, but whether therapeutically targeting sympathetic overactivity could help to prevent metabolic syndrome and attenuate its adverse outcomes remains to be determined.
authors.affiliation: Neurovascular Hypertension and Kidney Disease and Human Neurotransmitters Laboratories, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: markus.schlaich@bakeridi.edu.au.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlaich
authors.affiliation: Neurovascular Hypertension and Kidney Disease and Human Neurotransmitters Laboratories, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Straznicky
authors.affiliation: Neurovascular Hypertension and Kidney Disease and Human Neurotransmitters Laboratories, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.affiliation: Neurovascular Hypertension and Kidney Disease and Human Neurotransmitters Laboratories, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Gavin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lambert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000150:complications; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*