Cardiometabolic syndrome: A Public Health Crisis

Cardiometabolic syndrome (CMS), also known as metabolic syndrome, is a cluster of metabolic disorders that significantly increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. CMS is a combination of conditions such as insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia (abnormal cholesterol levels), hypertension (high blood pressure), and central adiposity (excess fat around the waist).

CMS is unfolding as a new topic of cardiology research because it highlights the intricate and essential relationships among obesity, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular well-being. Understanding CMS and its causes, as well as exploring new ways to diagnose and treat it, is essential for a brighter public health future. Advancements in our knowledge of CMS empower the cardiology field to evolve into a holistic, individualized cardiovascular care domain.

The global rate of CMS continues to rise. Currently, about 1 in 3 adults have metabolic syndrome. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found that in 2007–2014, 35.3% of men and 33.3% of women had CMS. In the United States, the prevalence of CMS increases with age and is higher in Black women (40%) than in Black men, White women, or White men.

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