Abstract
Objective: To analyze the association between metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk in adults, identifying the main factors involved and their clinical implications in the prevention and management of cardiovascular diseases. Methods: This is an integrative literature review carried out through the PubMED, Virtual Health Library (BVS) and CAPES Periodical databases, using the descriptors: “Metabolic Syndrome”, “Cardiovascular Risk”, “Adults” and “Obesity” and obtaining the search truncation: (Metabolic Syndrome) AND (Cardiovascular Disease) AND (Cardiovascular Risk) AND (Adult) AND (Obesity). A total of 12,208 articles were found, filtered according to inclusion criteria (Portuguese, English and Spanish; period from 2020 to 2025; full articles) and exclusion (duplicate articles, abstracts, out of scope). Results: The metabolic profile of obesity, and not only BMI, defines cardiovascular risk through inflammation and insulin resistance, requiring comprehensive assessment and continuous monitoring, since the "metabolically healthy" state may be transient. Final considerations: The assessment of cardiovascular risk in obesity should go beyond BMI, prioritizing the analysis of metabolic phenotypes, inflammation and insulin resistance.
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