Sri Lanka, April 16 -- Metabolic syndrome, formerly known as Syndrome X, is the combination of factors that increase the risk of an individual to go on an develop Ischaemic Heart Disease, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Stroke. Although it is not a disease in itself, the risk factors come together to form the metabolic syndrome.

The five conditions described below are metabolic risk factors. You could have any one of these risk factors alone, but they tend to occur in combinations. The presence of at least three metabolic risk factors is necessary to be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome.

A large waistline: This also is called abdominal obesity. Excess adipose tissue (fat tissue) in the stomach area is a greater risk factor for heart diseas...