Abstract
The metabolic syndrome refers to a group of diseases and risk factors whose co-occurrence increases the risk of specific health complications. According to current recommendations, the so-called harmonized definition of metabolic syndrome is used in the Czech Republic.
Its parts include abdominal obesi-ty, hyperglycaemia, hypertension and dyslipidaemia. Patients with metabolic syndrome have up to three times higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, up to two times higher risk of stroke and up to five times higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increasing, the latest survey from 2006-2009 reported 37,5% of men and 25,9% of women in the Czech Republic with metabolic syn-drome. Its screening in general practitioner offices is important and should be done regularly.
Patients with fully or partially expressed metabolic syndrome should be encouraged to change their lifestyle.