What is metabolic syndrome and why does it matter?

It is a cluster rather than a single disease: raised waist circumference, high triglycerides, low HDL, raised blood pressure, and raised fasting glucose. Having three of the five meets the definition. It matters because the combination carries considerably higher cardiovascular and diabetes risk than any component alone, and because each element is individually modest enough to be dismissed at a routine check. In India the waist threshold is lower than international criteria. The practical value of the concept is that it prompts treating the pattern rather than chasing one number at a time.