metabolic syndrome

American  

noun

1. Pathology. a group of medical conditions present simultaneously in a patient, as high blood pressure, low HDL cholesterol levels, and an excess of abdominal fat, that increases a person's risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

---

metabolic syndrome British  

noun

1. a condition associated with obesity including symptoms such as glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and raised blood pressure, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes

---

Etymology

Origin of metabolic syndrome

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

metabolic syndrome

Now in private practice, he specializes in full-body MRIs, which look for fat that can be a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and metabolic syndrome.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

He writes that “about 90 percent of the US population” has “at least one” of five markers of metabolic syndrome, which include high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and elevated fasting glucose.

From Slate ● Feb. 26, 2026

By his final year on the job, his doctor told him he was dealing with prediabetes, fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, sleep apnea, acid reflux, and obesity.

From Salon ● Feb. 18, 2026

To capture overall risk, researchers created a composite cardiometabolic score based on multiple components of metabolic syndrome, including waist size, blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein or HDL "good" cholesterol, triglycerides and blood sugar levels.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2025

Rates of metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions including obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure — increased from 26% of people, to nearly 38%.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2025