Abstract

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors. Essential components of MS are hyperglycemia, hypertension, dyslipidemia, visceral obesity and hypercoagulability. Main pathophysiological defect is the resistance of target tissues to insulin stimulated glucose disposal. MS has been becoming an epidemic that promotes high ineidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases because of life style changes in many countries. Genetic factors, sedantery life style, inappropriate diet habits, smoking and progressive weight gain play role in developing MS. In our country, increasing incidence of urban life conditions, smoking and obesity result in the elevated prevalence of MS. Besides, the environmental factors, genetic factors like low HDL cholesterol and hypertrygliceridemia, which are the predominant dyslipidemia type in Turkish population, also play an important role in develaping the MS. Genetic and environmental factors threaten our community for MS and actually for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, health control measures and professionals' education on this topic are mandatory in our country.