Cardiovascular syndromes X, endothelial dysfunction and insulin resistance.

Cardiac Syndrome X (microvascular angina) and the more recently described metabolic Syndrome X (an epidemiological association between insulin resistance and atheroma, dyslipidaemia, and hypertension) may have more in common than the chance of their common sobriquet, in view of evidence that microvascular angina too is characterised by insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction. The implications are discussed.