Extending Current Definitions of the Metabolic Syndrome

Current interest in the concept of the metabolic syndrome (MS) dates back from the late 1980s, when Reaven, in his Banting Lecture at the American Diabetes Association, described a cluster of abnormalities, whose combined risk of developing future diabetes and cardiovascular risk (CVD) is greater than that of the risk of individual components. This cluster was termed “Syndrome X” by Reaven and later came to be known by various other names such as Metabolic Syndrome (MS) and Insulin Resistance Syndrome. The history of the concept of MS and its management are discussed elsewhere in this book. This chapter attempts to analyze the various definitions of MS currently in use and to establish the need to modify it for different ethnic groups and populations, based on currently available evidence.