By Zencalcy Editorial TeamLast reviewed About us
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors that together predict a higher chance of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. This calculator counts five ATP III-style criteria from waist circumference, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure and fasting glucose. Meeting three or more is the common threshold, but the result is a screening aid rather than a diagnosis.
Count ATP III-style metabolic syndrome criteria.
Criteria (ATP III-style): Waist >102 cm men / >88 cm women Triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL HDL <40 men / <50 women mg/dL Blood pressure ≥130/85 mmHg Fasting glucose ≥100 mg/dL
Three or more criteria meet the common threshold for metabolic syndrome. Waist and HDL thresholds differ by sex, and some organisations use lower waist cutoffs for particular populations. This tool follows the widely cited ATP III-style bands for education and does not replace a clinical assessment or an oral glucose tolerance test.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| waist | Waist circumference in centimetres. |
| triglycerides | Triglycerides in mg/dL; 150 or above counts. |
| HDL | HDL cholesterol in mg/dL; below 40 (men) or 50 (women) counts. |
| blood pressure | Systolic and diastolic pressure; 130/85 or above counts. |
| glucose | Fasting glucose in mg/dL; 100 or above counts. |
A man with a 104 cm waist meets the waist criterion because it is above 102 cm. Triglycerides of 160 mg/dL, HDL of 38 mg/dL, blood pressure of 135/88 mmHg and fasting glucose of 110 mg/dL each meet their thresholds too, so he meets all five criteria. Three would already be enough to meet the common threshold; five shows that several risk factors are present at once.
Each criterion in this calculator is also a risk factor on its own, but metabolic syndrome is useful because the factors tend to travel together. Insulin resistance is thought to sit behind much of the cluster, linking abdominal fat, high triglycerides, low HDL, raised blood pressure and impaired glucose regulation. Counting criteria gives a quick picture of how many of these pathways are already abnormal. It does not measure them directly, and it cannot tell you which one is doing the most harm. A person who meets three criteria through modest changes in three areas may have a different risk profile from someone who meets three through one severe abnormality. Use the count as a conversation starter, then look at the size of each abnormality and at your overall cardiovascular risk.
Continue with the Cholesterol Ratio Calculator, Cholesterol Units Converter, or the LDL Calculator (Friedewald) — or browse more metabolic health tools and all health calculators.
It is a grouping of interconnected risk factors: central obesity, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, elevated blood pressure and impaired fasting glucose. The cluster is associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but it is a description of risk rather than a disease with a single cause.
Lipid and metabolic calculations are screening aids, not diagnoses. Friedewald LDL is unreliable when triglycerides are high, and risk depends on blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, kidney disease and family history. Treatment decisions require a clinician and, in most cases, a full lipid panel.
Reference material used to build and check this calculator:
Last reviewed: September 2026. See how we build and check every tool on the about page.
Content updated: September 2026