Metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of interrelated cardiometabolic risk factors that substantially amplify the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and premature mortality. The most widely applied diagnostic criteria are those of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the harmonised joint scientific statement (IDF/AHA/NHLBI, 2009), which require the presence of three or more of five components: elevated waist circumference (with ethnicity-specific thresholds), elevated fasting triglycerides (≥150 mg/dL), reduced HDL-cholesterol (<40 mg/dL in men, <50 mg/dL in women), elevated blood pressure (≥130/85 mmHg), and elevated fasting glucose (≥100 mg/dL). Insulin resistance and abdominal adiposity are considered the central drivers. Prevalence exceeds 30% in Western adult populations and rises with age, making metabolic syndrome a key target of lifestyle and pharmacological longevity interventions.