This document discusses metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of medical disorders that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes when occurring together. It affects about 20% of the Malaysian population. The core components include hypertension, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, obesity, and impaired glucose tolerance. There are different criteria for diagnosing metabolic syndrome, but central to all definitions is insulin resistance. If left untreated, metabolic syndrome can increase the risk of serious health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.