Metabolic syndrome: Recognition, etiology, and physical fitness as a component
The general concept of the metabolic syndrome, which describes a clustering of metabolic abnormalities associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension, has been recognized for many years.1-4 Despite a definition of syndrome by the World Health Organization (WHO)5, the most commonly used definition is relatively new. In 2002, the National Cholesterol Education Program, in its Adult Treatment Program III (ATP III),6 presented a definition of metabolic syndrome that is commonly accepted in the U.S as a working model of the condition. However, the relative novelty of the condition to the general medical and lay audiences and only recent acceptance of a working definition means that there have been few studies of the prevalence, incidence, and response of metabolic syndrome to commonly available lifestyle interventions, such as exercise training.
