ATTENUATING METABOLIC SYNDROMEMetabolic syndrome (MetS) is a group of risk factors that occur together and increase the risk for CVD and diabetes, including insulin resistance (IR), obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia and hypertension.Hypertension and IR in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats can be induced by feeding a fructose-rich diet.