Metabolic syndrome: controversial but useful.

The metabolic syndrome--the cluster of obesity, impaired fasting glucose, elevated triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and hypertension--may not be a "real" syndrome in the strict sense. It can, however, still be a useful concept if it prompts a physician to look for and treat additional risk factors when a patient is found to have one risk factor, or if it helps persuade patients to undertake healthy lifestyle changes before they develop overt diabetes mellitus or coronary artery disease.