ABSTRACT
The definition of “metabolic syndrome” (MS) as a multifactorial metabolic disorder has been proposed by Reaven to explain the clustering of central obesity and of at least two of the following four additional factors: high triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), high blood pressure, or raised fasting plasma glucose level. This notion has been discussed by the recent International Diabetes Federation definition (Alberti et al., 2009). In addition, the Adult Treatment Panel (ATP)-III definition (with which the general practitioner is more familiar) is that of the presence of any three of the five risk factors mentioned earlier (Gade et al., 2010). Within this context, it must be underlined that most plasma markers of inflammation, of which the most popular one is the C-reactive protein (CRP), are almost always increased in patients with the MS (Reaven, 2011). In this respect, the MS can be also defined as an inflammatory disorder. Therefore, nutritional or pharmacological interventions aimed at decreasing systemic inflammation would markedly affect prognosis. In synthesis and based on current knowledge, an appropriate approach to the MS (be it preventive or therapeutic) should target both inflammation and metabolic alterations.
