Approach to treatment of the patient with metabolic syndrome: lifestyle therapy.

The National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III definition of the metabolic syndrome identifies those at high risk for diabetes mellitus and/or a cardiac event by clustering a number of easily measured clinical findings, including abdominal obesity, elevated plasma levels of triglycerides, low plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, elevated fasting blood glucose, and elevated blood pressure. The presence of > or = 3 of these 5 risk factors justifies a diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome. This article focuses on root causes of the syndrome (atherogenic diet, sedentary lifestyle, and overweight/obesity) and highlights recent studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of therapeutic lifestyle changes in improving or preventing the components of the metabolic syndrome. We offer a practical approach with a focus that embraces not only patients, but also physicians and healthcare professionals as well as the larger healthcare system.