Metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome or dysmetabolic syndrome or insulin resistance syndrome or Syndrome X is an endocrine disorder that affects approximately 1 in 4 people worldwide, although rates vary considerably between countries.

Signs and symptoms
Metabolic syndrome requires a minimum of 3 of 5 metabolic risk factor criteria to be met:
 * a large waistline (abdominal obesity)
 * a high triglyceride level, or you need medication to control your triglycerides
 * Low HDL cholesterol level, or you need medication to treat low HDL cholesterol
 * High blood pressure, or you need medication to lower your blood pressure
 * High fasting blood sugar, or blood sugar controlled by medication

These often occur together, and are commonly caused by:
 * being overweight
 * having obesity, and
 * a lack of exercise or physical activity.

ME/CFS
Very little research has been done about metabolic syndrome in people with ME/CFS; the US Clinician Coalition states that it is a possible comorbidity but the International Consensus Criteria and Canadian Consensus Criteria do not.

Notable articles

 * 2009, Chronic fatigue syndrome is associated with metabolic syndrome: results from a case-control study in Georgia (Full text)

Learn more

 * Metabolic syndrome - National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
 * Metabolic syndrome - Johns Hopkins Medicine
 * Metabolic syndrome - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic