Metabolic syndrome: historical perspectives.

The metabolic syndrome is an aggregation of biochemical and physical conditions that presage the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The history of the metabolic syndrome is rooted in the recognition of adipose tissue as a heterogeneous, biologically active organ, as well as in the concepts of insulin resistance and its consequences. Establishment of the metabolic syndrome as a disease entity has been hindered by non-uniform criteria for its diagnosis.