Frontiers in Physiology (Aug 2015)
Does the Sympathetic Nervous System contribute to the pathophysiology of MetabolicSyndrome?
Abstract
The metabolic syndrome (MS), formally known as syndrome X, is a clustering of several riskfactors such as obesity, hypertension, insulin resistance and dislypidemia which could lead to thedevelopment of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The frequent changes in the definitionand diagnostic criteria of MS are indications of the controversy and the challenges surrounding theunderstanding of this syndrome among researchers. Obesity and insulin resistance are leading riskfactors of MS. Moreover, obesity and hypertension are closely associated to the increase andaggravation of oxidative stress. The recommended treatment of MS frequently involves change oflifestyles to prevent weight gain. MS is not only an important screening tool for the identification ofindividuals at high risk of CVD and diabetes but also an indicator of suitable treatment. Assympathetic disturbances and oxidative stress are often associated with obesity and hypertension,the present review summarizes the role of sympathetic nervous system and oxidative stress in theMS.
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