Would you like metabolic syndrome with that?

If your busy lifestyle frequently finds you in the drive-through lane of a fast food restaurant ordering a burger, fries and a diet coke, you may be the next in line to develop metabolic syndrome according to research published online on January 22, 2008 in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Metabolic syndrome is a group of cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk factors that include increased waist circumference, hypertension, high triglycerides, low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high fasting glucose levels. Having three or more of these factors significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The incidence of metabolic syndrome has risen in recent years, and consumption of "junk" food combined with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle has frequently been blamed. Continue Reading