Metabolic syndrome is a designation for associated clinical and laboratory findings that, if occurring together, increase a person's risk for developing cardiovascular disease, stroke, and/or diabetes. It is important to note that metabolic syndrome is not a disease in itself. To further clarify the difference, a syndrome is a set of medical signs and symptoms that are correlated with each other and often associated with a particular disease or disorder. When a syndrome is paired with a definite cause, this becomes a disease.
Metabolic syndrome is also known as insulin resistance syndrome. It may also be referred to as syndrome X or dysmetabolic syndrome.
