Access

Review

Nature Reviews Genetics 9, 819–830 (1 November 2008) | doi:10.1038/nrg2468

Metabolic syndrome: from epidemiology to systems biology

Aldons J. Lusis , Alan D. Attie & Karen Reue

Metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) is a group of metabolic conditions that occur together and promote the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. Recent genome-wide association studies have identified several novel susceptibility genes for MetSyn traits, and studies in rodent models have provided important molecular insights. However, as yet, only a small fraction of the genetic component is known. Systems-based approaches that integrate genomic, molecular and physiological data are complementing traditional genetic and biochemical approaches to more fully address the complexity of MetSyn.