Health Topic

Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (also called insulin resistance syndrome) is a group of conditions that put you at risk for heart disease and diabetes. Read more.

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Also called: Insulin resistance syndrome · Metabolic syndrome X

Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

About Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, and other health problems. You can have just one risk factor, but people often have several of them together. When you have at least three of them, it is called metabolic syndrome. These risk factors include:

  • A large waistline, also called abdominal obesity or "having an apple shape." Too much fat around the stomach is a greater risk factor for heart disease than too much fat in other parts of the body.
  • Having a high triglyceride level. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the blood.
  • Having a low HDL cholesterol level. HDL is sometimes called the "good" cholesterol because it helps remove cholesterol from your arteries.
  • Having high blood pressure. If your blood pressure stays high over time, it can damage your heart and lead to other health problems.
  • Having a high fasting blood sugar. Mildly high blood sugar may be an early sign of diabetes.

The more factors you have, the higher your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke is.

Metabolic syndrome has several causes that act together:

  • Overweight and obesity
  • An inactive lifestyle
  • Insulin resistance, a condition in which the body can't use insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone that helps move blood sugar into your cells to give them energy. Insulin resistance can lead to high blood sugar levels.
  • Age - your risk goes up as get older
  • Genetics - ethnicity and family history

People who have metabolic syndrome often also have excessive blood clotting and inflammation throughout the body. Researchers don't know whether these conditions cause metabolic syndrome or worsen it.

The most important risk factors for metabolic syndrome are:

  • Abdominal obesity (a large waistline)
  • An inactive lifestyle
  • Insulin resistance

There are certain groups of people who have an increased risk of metabolic syndrome:

  • Some racial and ethnic groups. Mexican Americans have the highest rate of metabolic syndrome, followed by White and Black people.
  • People who have diabetes
  • People who have a sibling or parent who has diabetes
  • Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
  • People who take medicines that cause weight gain or changes in blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugar levels

Most of the metabolic risk factors have no obvious signs or symptoms, except for a large waistline.

Your health care provider will diagnose metabolic syndrome based on the results of a physical exam and blood tests. You must have at least three of the risk factors to be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome:

  • A large waistline, which means a waist measurement of 35 inches or more for women
  • 40 inches or more for men
  • Less than 50 mg/dL for women
  • Less than 40 mg/dL for men

The most important treatment for metabolic syndrome is a heart-healthy lifestyle, which includes:

  • A heart-healthy eating plan, which limits the amount of saturated and trans fats that you eat. It encourages you to choose a variety of nutritious foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats.
  • Aiming for a healthy weight
  • Managing stress
  • Getting regular physical activity
  • Quitting smoking (or not starting if you don't already smoke)

If making lifestyle changes is not enough, you may need to take medicines. For example, you may need medicines to lower cholesterol or blood pressure.

The best way to prevent metabolic syndrome is through the heart-healthy lifestyle changes.

It sits within Blood, Heart and Circulation, Endocrine System, Metabolic Problems and Diabetes Mellitus.

The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.

Research on Metabolic Syndrome

5,925 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.

What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.

Research currently under way

Research already completed

Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.

Where to read more

Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.

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Symptoms

Related Issues

Clinical Trials

Medical subject headings

Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Metabolic Syndrome. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.

This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Metabolic Syndrome, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.