Abstract
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of cardiometabolic risk factors with high prevalence
among adult populations and elevated costs for public health systems worldwide. Despite
the lack of consensus regarding the syndrome definition and diagnosis criteria, it
is characterized by the coexistence of risk factors such as abdominal obesity, atherogenic
dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure, a prothrombotic and pro-inflammatory state,
insulin resistance (IR), and higher glucose levels, factors indubitably linked to
an increased risk of developing chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes (T2D)
and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The syndrome has a complex and multifaceted origin
not fully understood; however, it has been strongly suggested that sedentarism and
unbalanced dietary patterns might play a fundamental role in its development. The
purpose of this review is to provide an overview from the syndrome epidemiology, costs,
and main etiological traits from its relationship with unhealthy diet patterns and
sedentary lifestyles.
Key words
metabolic syndrome - sedentary lifestyle - diet - cardiovascular disease - type 2
diabetes