As we have just seen, the Metabolic Syndrome is a huge, world-wide Public Health problem. It is now one of the major causes of cardiovascular disease and is responsible for a growing amount of premature death throughout the world. It is a large and rapidly growing cost to society everywhere (FIGURE VI).

Despite the considerable increase over the last 5 years in the number of scientific papers published about Metabolic Syndrome, there are still many things we do not know.

• Just how common is the Metabolic Syndrome in the different continents and countries? Are we dealing with the same disorder world-wide or are there different conditions in different countries?
• How best can we diagnose the condition?
• Can we prevent the metabolic syndrome by modifying life-style ? How can we modify living habits in the long-term?
• Which drug treatments are best to reduce the cardiovascular risk in people with Metabolic Syndrome?
• What research needs to be done? What fundamental research and what clinical research?
• With our current state of knowledge, how should people with Metabolic Syndrome be treated today?