The metabolic syndrome and related cardiovascular risk.

The metabolic syndrome is a complex association of several risk factors including insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and essential hypertension. Insulin resistance has been associated with sympathetic activation and endothelial dysfunction, which are the main mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of hypertension and its related cardiovascular risk. According to the Sixth Report of the Joint National Committee, and guidelines of the World Health Organization/International Society of Hypertension, the presence of multiple risk markers suggests that both hypertension and risk factors should be aggressively managed in order to obtain a better outcome. Primary prevention of obesity at different levels--individual, familial, and social-- starting early in childhood has proven to be cost effective, and will be mandatory to reduce the world epidemic of obesity and its severe consequences.