Genetic Basis of the Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a prevalent disorder in children and it is described as a group of risk factors including obesity, increased fasting blood sugar, increased triglyceride, high blood pressure and decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. This multifactorial disorder has been considered as one of the leading causes of mortality throughout the world and has been considered as a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Recent studies have shown that the syndrome is highly prevalent among overweight children and adolescents. The etiology of the metabolic syndrome is complex, and is determined by the interaction between genetic and environmental factors and their influence on the development of obesity, insulin resistance and various inflammatory processes. Recent findings on Iranian children and adolescents show the prevalent of 23%. In this review, we looked at the definition, prevalence etiology and the main determinant genes in the development of this disorder.