title: The metabolic syndrome is an important concept in therapeutic decision-making.
abstract: Traditional risk factors can underestimate the true risk of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Abdominal obesity is associated with a cluster of risk factors that include dyslipidemia, dysglycemia, and hypertension, termed metabolic syndrome (MS). The presence of MS increases cardiovascular risk 50%-100% beyond that defined according to traditional risk factors, and increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Recognition of patients with MS is important to: (1) identify patients at increased risk beyond that conveyed by traditional risk factors; and (2) understand that the metabolic abnormalities associated with MS are largely reversed by measures that reduce abdominal obesity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: fitchettd@smh.ca.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fitchett
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015897:Comorbidity; D003657:Decision Making; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015996:Survival Rate