Figure 2.

Prototype pattern of disease for health risk reduction connected to metabolic syndrome. Environmental exposures elevating the risk of metabolic syndrome are on the far left. Diseases and conditions with elevated risk associated with metabolic syndrome are on the far right. The first window on the left illustrates the opportunity to prevent initiation of metabolic syndrome by identifying and protecting against problematic environmental exposures that increase the risk of metabolic syndrome. The second window shows the opportunity to intervene in the metabolic syndrome pattern and reduce the risk for progression to associated diseases. Prompt intervention focused on the entire metabolic syndrome disease pattern may be more effective than treatment begun much later in life (as indicated by the diminishing triangle). Both the prevention and intervention strategies are important components of overall health risk reduction. The focus on patterns of disease deviates from the traditional single-disease approach.