Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. It’s diagnosed when a person has at least three of the following: a large waistline, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high triglycerides, and low HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Recent research suggests that uric acid may play a direct role in triggering insulin resistance, a key factor in metabolic syndrome. This means uric acid could be quietly disrupting how the body processes food and stores energy, raising the risk of diabetes and heart disease, over time.