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Syndrome X is a cluster of signs including:- Fat around the waistline- High blood pressure- Low levels of HDL "good" cholesterol- High fasting blood sugar levels- High triglycerides

If a person has three or more of these signs, they are at higher risk of developing diabetes mellitus and heart disease, as well as kidney disease.

"Our study is the first to find a link between metabolic syndrome and chronic kidney diseases," says Jing Chen, a kidney disease specialist at the TulaneHypertension and Renal Center of Excellence, and lead author of the article. "However, it looks like earlier, better management of the metabolic syndrome might help prevent kidney disease."

Chronic kidney disease, a major risk factor for kidney failure, heart disease and early death, affects approximately 8.3 million adults over age 20 in the United States. In addition, 47 million US adults suffer from the metabolic syndrome known as Syndrome X.

Data from over 6000 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was used to assess the association between Syndrome X and kidney disease and protein in urine. Protein in the urine is a sign of kidney disease. In addition to discovering a higher risk of chronic kidney disease among people with Syndrome X, the researchers also found a higher risk of protein in urine among those with one or more of the signs of Syndrome X. The researchers also looked at the individual signs and found that abdominal obesity doubles the risk of chronic kidney disease.

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