The investigations of genetic determinants of the metabolic syndrome

Abstract Metabolic syndrome is the aggregation of cardiovascular risk factors that increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Family and twin studies, heritability spectrum for its components and different prevalence among ethnicities, have provided genetic susceptibility to the metabolic syndrome. The investigations of genetic base for the disorder have recognized numerous chromosomes, various DNA polymorphisms in candidate genes and many gene variants, that are associated with metabolic syndrome as an entity or its traits, which mostly are related to lipid metabolism. In addition, recent finding of the role of rare variants, epigenetic mechanisms, non-coding RNAs and evaluating the function of genes in molecular networks have improved our knowledge. However, a common genetic basis explaining the co-occurrence of its components has not been identified and more researches are essential.