The metabolic syndrome is also known as Syndrome X or Insulin Resistance Syndrome. It affects about 25 percent of adults in the United States, and those with the metabolic syndrome are at increased risk for heart disease. Those with the metabolic syndrome have three or more of the following:

• Abdominal obesity (waist measurement of more than 40 inches in men and 35 inches in women)
• Triglyceride level of 150 mg/dL or greater
• HDL cholesterol of less than 40 mg/dL in men or less than 50 mg/dL in women
• Systolic blood pressure of 130 mm Hg or greater
• Diastolic blood pressure of 85 mm Hg or greater
• Fasting glucose of 100 mg/dL or greater