Advances in medical sciences
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The metabolic syndrome refers to the clustering of upper body obesity, atherogenic dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and elevated blood pressure. Both, obesity and metabolic syndrome, have the potential to influence on the incidence and severity of cardiovascular disease with serious implications for worldwide health care systems. Obesity plays a central role in the development of insulin resistance and dyslipidemia through the mediation of a pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic state. ⋯ Those bioactive molecules participate in regulation of apetite and energy homeostasis, lipid metabolism (tumour necrosis factor alpha--TNF-alpha), insulin sensitivity (TNF-alpha, adiponectin, resistin, visfatin) immunity (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1--MCP-1, TNF-alpha, IL-6), angiogenesis, blood pressure and hemostasis (plasminogen activator inhibitor--PAI-1). The effects of major pro-/anti-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic adipokines on several physiological processes will be discussed in this review. Also, an evidence-based approach to the laboratory diagnosis and treatment of metabolic syndrome will be presented.