Resumen

RODRIGUEZ PORTO, Ana Liz; SANCHEZ LEON, Mayra  y  MARTINEZ VALDES, Leonardo L.. Metabolic syndrome. Rev Cubana Endocrinol [online]. 2002, vol.13, n.3, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-2953.

The metabolic syndrome was recognized more than 80 years ago in medical literature and it has received since then several denominations. It is not a unique disease, but an association of health problems that may appear in a simultaneous or sequential way in the same individual caused by the combination of genetic and environmental factors associated with the life style, in which insulin resistance is considered as the main pathogenic component. The presence of metabolic syndrome is related to a significant increase of risk for diabetes, coronary disease and cerebrovascular disease, with a decrease of survival, particularly due to a 5-fold rise in cardiovascular mortality. Aspects connected with its pathogeny, epidemiology and diagnosis were dealt with in the present review. Emphasis was made on the importance of identifying and treating opportunely the comorbidities present in these patients as a strategy in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Palabras clave : METABOLIC DISEASES [phisiopathology]; METABOLIC DISEASES [genetics]; ENVIRONMENT; METABOLIC DISEASES [diagnosis]; METABOLIC DISEASES [epidemiology]; HEART DISEASES [prevention and control].