With the metabolic syndrome drivingthe twin global epidemics of type 2diabetes and CVD there is anoverwhelming moral, medical andeconomic imperative to identify thoseindividuals with metabolic syndromeearly, so that lifestyle interventionsand treatment may prevent thedevelopment of diabetes and/orcardiovascular disease.

     

       A number of expert groups havedeveloped clinical criteria for themetabolic syndrome. The most widelyaccepted of these were produced by theWorld Health Organization (WHO), theEuropean Group for the Study of InsulinResistance (EGIR), and the NationalCholesterol Education Program – ThirdAdult Treatment Panel (NCEP ATPIII).24-26 All groups agreed on the corecomponents of the metabolic syndrome:obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidaemiaand hypertension. However, the existingguidelines were either diffi cult to use orgave confl icting results when attemptingto identify individuals with the metabolicsyndrome in clinical practice.

     

      Furthermore, the existence ofmultiple defi nitions for the metabolicsyndrome has caused confusionand has resulted in many studiesand research papers comparingthe merits of each defi nition. It hasalso proved diffi cult to make directcomparisons between the data fromstudies where different defi nitionshave been used to identify thesyndrome.

 IDF experts recognized that there wasa stark need for a single, universallyaccepted diagnostic tool that is easyto use in clinical practice and thatdoes not rely upon measurementsonly available in research settings.

     

       The new IDF defi nition addressesboth clinical and research needs,providing an accessible, diagnostictool suitable for worldwide useand establishing a comprehensive‘platinum standard’ list of additionalcriteria that should be included inepidemiological studies and otherresearch into the metabolic syndrome.