Current Research in Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiometabolic Disorders

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Endocrinology and Clinical Metabolic Research".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 1636

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Internal Medicine I—Discipline of Medical Semiology I, Department V, Center of Advanced Research in Cardiology and Hemostasology, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Sq. No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Interests: atrial fibrillation; metabolic syndrome; stroke; dyslipidemia; endothelial dysfunction; heart failure; chronic coronary syndromes

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Guest Editor
The Einstein-Mount Sinai Diabetes Research Center (ES-DRC), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
Interests: metabolomics; mass spectrometry; metabolites identification; biomarker discovery; stable isotope flux; cancer metabolism; infectious diseases
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cardiovascular disorders are considered to be a leading cause of a low quality of life (QOL), increased Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY), and rising mortality rates. The highly close link between cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders has led to a rise in new research fields. Although metabolic syndrome is not a disease itself, its presence significantly increases the likelihood of comorbidities and ultimately increases the risk of cardiovascular major events, thereby leading to higher mortality rates. In recent years, the existence of the paradoxical effects related to obesity, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and even for the metabolic syndrome have come to light.

This Special Issue aims to reveal new discoveries in the field of metabolic dysfunction and their impact on cardiovascular diseases. We invite papers focusing on evaluating the relationships between dyslipidemia, elevated uric acid levels, obesity, diabetes mellitus or pre-diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, chronic or acute coronary syndromes, arterial hypertension, but not limited). In addition to this, we also invite studies on other forms of metabolic dysfunctions, such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, FIB-4 score, or novel scores, alongside their association with heart disease. Studies focusing on the correlations between COVID-19, metabolic dysfunctions and cardiovascular disease are welcome as well. In the last few years, we experienced a therapeutic revolution, in which drugs designed for the treatment of diabetes mellitus showed a major impact on heart health, raising hopes in patients with heart failure. The effect of these drugs on the metabolic syndrome remains debatable and studies in this domain are of interest, as well as the epidemiological aspects of metabolic syndrome.

Submissions may be made online until 31 January 2026. All papers submitted will be pre-checked, and if suitable for publication, will undergo a peer-review process. If accepted, the paper will be published as soon as possible.

Dr. Ciprian Ilie Rosca
Dr. Yunping Qiu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metabolites is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • metabolic syndrome
  • obesity
  • dyslipidemias
  • hyperuricemia
  • diabetes mellitus
  • cardiovascular diseases
  • heart failure
  • arrythmias
  • acute or chronic coronary syndromes
  • SGLT2-inhibitors
  • metabolic liver diseases
  • COVID-19 infection

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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15 pages, 714 KB  
Article
Serum Calprotectin is Associated with Overweight and Laboratory Markers of Glucose Metabolism in Apparently Healthy Young Adults—A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study
by Katarzyna Bergmann, Anna Stefańska, Magdalena Kuligowska-Prusińska and Magdalena Krintus
Metabolites 2025, 15(12), 756; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo15120756 - 21 Nov 2025
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Abstract
Background: Recent studies have indicated that serum calprotectin, a marker of inflammation, is associated with obesity and disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between serum calprotectin and cardiometabolic risk factors in presumably [...] Read more.
Background: Recent studies have indicated that serum calprotectin, a marker of inflammation, is associated with obesity and disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between serum calprotectin and cardiometabolic risk factors in presumably healthy young adults. Methods: The study enrolled 118 (61 females, 57 males) non-obese, normoglycemic, subjects aged 25–40 years, selected from the general population among participants of the diabetes preventive screening program in 2014–2015. Basic anthropometric measurements and the following laboratory tests were performed on all participants: glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), lipid profile, insulin, Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), calprotectin and adiponectin. Results: The serum calprotectin concentration was significantly higher in men compared to women (p = 0.016), and in overweight subjects (p < 0.001) and those with abdominal obesity (p < 0.001), compared to lean individuals. Serum calprotectin was positively correlated with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, HbA1c, hs-CRP, insulin, HOMA-IR and triglycerides, and negatively with HDL-cholesterol and adiponectin. In the univariable logistic regression analysis, overweight (OR = 2.529; p = 0.015), abdominal obesity (OR = 3.217; p = 0.006), hs-CRP > 1 mg/L (OR = 5.00; p < 0.001), HOMA-IR > 2.0 (OR = 4.394; p < 0.001), and HbA1c > 32 mmol/mol (OR = 2.166; p = 0.021) were significant predictors of increased calprotectin concentration (≥540.8 ng/mL; ≥median). However, in models adjusted for sex, BMI and hs-CRP, the significant association remained only for increased HbA1c and HOMA-IR values. Conclusions: Association of serum calprotectin with overweight, hs-CRP and laboratory indicators of glucose metabolism and insulin resistance suggest its significance as a laboratory biomarker of initial metabolic impairment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Research in Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiometabolic Disorders)
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15 pages, 838 KB  
Article
Predictive Utility and Metabolomic Signatures of TG/HDL-C Ratio for Metabolic Syndrome Without Cardiovascular Disease and/or Diabetes in Qatari Adults
by Noora Kano, Najeha Anwardeen, Khaled Naja, Asma A. Elashi, Ahmed Malki and Mohamed A. Elrayess
Metabolites 2025, 15(9), 574; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo15090574 - 28 Aug 2025
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Abstract
Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), especially in Middle Eastern populations with a high metabolic burden. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive utility of different lipid ratios, including triglyceride-to-high-density [...] Read more.
Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), especially in Middle Eastern populations with a high metabolic burden. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive utility of different lipid ratios, including triglyceride-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC)/HDL-C, low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C)/HDL-C, and non-HDL-C/HDL-C, for identifying MetS. In addition, we aimed to characterise the underlying metabolic dysregulation using the most predictive lipid ratio by comparing metabolomic profiles between high-risk (T3) and low-risk (T1) groups. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from 2179 Qatari adults without CVD and/or T2DM. The predictive value of each lipid ratio for MetS was compared. Untargeted metabolomics was performed to profile metabolic changes between T3 and T1. Results: After adjustment for age, sex, and BMI, TG/HDL-C showed the highest discriminative ability for MetS (AUC = 0.896, 95% CI: 0.88–0.91; OR = 4.36, 95% CI: 3.63–5.28, p < 0.0001). In pairwise AUC comparisons, TG/HDL-C outperformed LDL-C/HDL-C (p = 2.6 × 10−4, after correction for multiple comparisons), with no significant differences versus other ratios. The high-risk group exhibited raised levels of phosphatidylethanolamines, phosphatidylinositols, and diacylglycerols, and lower levels of sphingomyelins and plasmalogens. These lipid classes have been suggested to be implicated in insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction. Elevated monoacylglycerols were identified in high-TG/HDL-C groups, representing a previously underreported pattern. Conclusions: The TG/HDL-C ratio showed a better association with MetS compared with other lipid ratios and was linked to distinct metabolomic signatures. These findings suggest potential value for early risk evaluation, but longitudinal and mechanistic studies are needed to confirm clinical applicability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Research in Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiometabolic Disorders)
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