The metabolic syndrome, as described by Reaven, is a combination of obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), and hyperinsulinemia. All of the features described above are risk factors for atherosclerosis and therefore metabolic syndrome is considered to constitute a significant risk for coronary heart disease. The features of obesity being overweight and insulin resistance also provided a significant risk for developing type 2 diabetes. This review will focus on the relationship between metabolic syndrome and adipocytokine. In addition, the role of Oreactive protein (CRP) which is a newly established nontraditional cardiovascular risk factor will also be reviewed. It is well known that both adiponectin and leptin are related to both the glucose and lipid metabolism. A few of recent reports have recognized that adiponectin and CRP tend to demonstrate contrastive effects against insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. In fact, a reduction in the adiponectin level and an elevation in the CRP level in adipose tissue and plasma have also been suggested to possibly contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. A few epidemiological studies have tried to determine whether the CRP levels are associated with the number of metabolic disorders. A prospective study showed that the subjects with metabolic syndrome who also have a high fitness level tend to demonstrate markedly lower CRP concentrations than similar subject with a low fitness level. Therefore, a high fitness level may improve metabolic disorders such as metabolic syndrome, a excess secretion of adipocytokine such as a low level of adiponectin and a high level both leptin and CRP. However, most of the studies focusing on these associations have used indirect indexes such as the physical activity based on self-reports and the body mass index calculated by weight/height2. As a result, further studies are called for to elucidate such methodological problems as including measuring physical fitness level and the degree of visceral fat accumulation among the general population
