insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease

1. The metabolic syndrome is a term for a constellation ofendogenous risk factors that increase the risk ofdeveloping both CVD and type 2 diabetes mellitus.1. The syndrome is not a discrete entity known to be causedby a single factor. Moreover, it shows considerablevariation in the components among different individuals.This variation is even greater among different racial andethnic groups.1. The syndrome is strongly associated with the presence ofabdominal obesity.1. The fasting insulin level (10), homeostatic modelassessment (HOMA) , fasting glucose/insulin ratio (G/Iratio), and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index(QUICKI) have been the most frequently used techniquesin clinical investigations.1. The metabolic syndrome is a secondary target forreducing cardiovascular events. Smoking cessation,lowering the levels of LDL-C, and blood pressuremanagement are primary targets for risk reduction.2. Lifestyle interventions are the initial therapiesrecommended for treatment of the metabolic syndrome. Iflifestyle change is not sufficient, then drug therapies forabnormalities in the individual risk factors may beindicated.