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The metabolic syndrome is group of lipid and non-lipid factors that increase cardiovascular risk. These factors include abdominal obesity, low HDL-C levels and high serum triglycerides, fasting glucose and/or blood pressure levels; with three or more items required to meet diagnosis. The most important feature of the syndrome is abdominal obesity. Although reports indicate that the rate of the syndrome increases after the female menopause, as a consequence of an emergence of several of aforementioned features, in general due to changes in lifestyle habits and the fact that women increase body weight during the menopausal transition much before menopause onset there seems to be an increase in the rate of the syndrome before the menopause. The metabolic syndrome is considered a pro-inflammatory state with high secretion of adipocytokines which subsequently produce endothelial dysfunction and increases cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and the risk of developing diabetes. This presentation will aim at presenting an overview of the syndrome before and after the menopause, focusing on inflammation and endothelial dysfunction.