Renal protection and microalbuminuria in metabolic syndrome

Abstract

Several years have ensued since the early descriptions of the association between various clinical conditions such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dislipidemia, and Reaven's assertion in 1988 suggesting that all those disorders were part of one same syndrome which he called the X syndrome and which we now call metabolic syndrome. New knowledge has been developed that has helped us to predict cardiovascular events and there are new diagnostic elements such as microalbuminuria, which provides an accurate prediction of the onset of end-organ damage, vascular injury and death. The following is a review of the existing diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome, the association among the various components, as well as the evidence showing its importance in predicting cardio-renal vascular events.