Do You Have Metabolic Syndrome?
(HealthScoutNews, 12/03/02)

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association confirms the link between cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome, a condition characterized by hypertension, high cholesterol, abdominal obesity and insulin resistance. The researchers analyzed the data collected from 1,209 men who participated in the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study in Finland, and determined that middle-aged men with metabolic syndrome, also called "insulin resistance syndrome," were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and die. None of the participants with the syndrome had cardiovascular disease or diabetes at the start of the 11-year study. Scientists believe that the syndrome results from a combination of factors, including a sedentary lifestyle, diet and genetic factors.