MedCommAug 25, 2026

Metabolic Syndrome: Causes and Possible Treatments

GLP-1 Therapies Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Updated Aug 26, 2026

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome is associated with various risk factors that may lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Insulin resistance and chronic low-grade inflammation are implicated in the progression of metabolic syndrome.
Oxidative stress and epigenetic modifications also contribute to the disease mechanisms of metabolic syndrome.
The gut-adipose tissue axis plays a critical role in metabolic syndrome progression, involving factors from both adipose tissue and gut microbiota.
Established pharmacological treatments include GLP-1 receptor agonists, SGLT2 inhibitors, and RAAS inhibitors.
Emerging therapies targeting the gut-adipose tissue axis encompass lifestyle modifications, prebiotics, probiotics, and bariatric surgery.

Simplified

Metabolic syndrome describes a set of risk factors that can eventually lead to the occurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. Metabolic syndrome has emerged as a significant global health issue, associated with various metabolic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, chronic kidney disease, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, and other metabolic disorders. Here, we summarize the intricate mechanisms including insulin resistance, chronic low-grade inflammation, oxidative stress, and epigenetic modifications, and how they contribute to the disease progression of metabolic syndrome. The gut-adipose tissue axis in the progression of metabolic syndrome is emphasized here, mainly involving adipocyte-derived extracellular vesicles and adipokines, as well as specific gut microbiota and their secreted factors, such as lipopolysaccharide, short-chain fatty acids, endocannabinoids, bile acids, aryl hydrocarbon receptor ligands, and tryptophan derivatives. Furthermore, the contemporary management for metabolic syndrome mainly includes some established pharmacological treatments such as GLP-1 receptor agonists, SGLT2 inhibitors, and RAAS inhibitors, as well as promising emerging therapies targeting the gut-adipose tissue axis such as lifestyle modifications, prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotic supplements, FMT, bariatric surgery, CB1R antagonists, and novel pharmacological agents. These strategies may pave the way for the development of effective treatments for metabolic diseases in future research.

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Metabolic Syndrome: Causes and Possible Treatments

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