Introduction
Datamonitor estimates that approximately 115 million individuals suffer from metabolic syndrome in the seven major markets. This patient population is set to grow rapidly in response to the rising obesity and diabetes epidemics. Research conducted by Datamonitor reveals that there is a strong unmet need for clearer guidance regarding the diagnosis and treatment of metabolic syndrome patients.
Scope of this report
- Determination of the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its component conditions
- Evaluation of physician awareness of metabolic syndrome and its importance, with analysis of physician perceptions of the treatment of the condition
- Assessment of the potential of existing drug classes and developmental compounds in the treatment of metabolic syndrome
- Discussion of non-physician stakeholder issues, such as reimbursement and regulatory issues, drawing on examples from each of the 7 major markets
Research and analysis highlights
The awareness of metabolic syndrome has greatly increased although there remains an unmet need for clearer and more applicable diagnostic and treatment guidelines and for a strong public health message to increase public awareness of the consequences of obesity and sedentary lifestyles.
There is a certain resistance among physicians to use pharmacological therapy to treat metabolic syndrome. This is fueled by concerns over the effects of long-term drug administration in asymptomatic patients, by a lack of officially indicated drugs and by the limited availability of clinical trial data for the use of drug therapy in this setting.
Key reasons to read this report
- Target physicians more effectively, through an understanding of prescribing behavior and its influences
- Evaluate the potential of existing and developmental drug classes for the treatment of metabolic syndrome
- Recognize lucrative target populations, in terms of unmet need and patient potential, in order to successfully position developmental products
CHAPTER 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Scope of the analysis
- Datamonitor insight into the metabolic syndrome market
- Summary
- Key metrics
CHAPTER 2 INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE
- Coverage of the Stakeholder Insight Survey
CHAPTER 3 DEFINITION OF METABOLIC SYNDROME
- Background
- Pre-diabetic population
- Metabolic syndrome
- Confusion over syndrome name
- Disease definition
- Pathogenesis
- Clinical criteria for diagnosis
- Metabolic syndrome as a marker for cardiovascular disease
- Insulin resistance and its associated conditions
- Insulin resistance and obesity
- Insulin resistance and aging
- Insulin resistance and dyslipidemia
- Insulin resistance and hypertension
- Insulin resistance and thrombosis
- Insulin resistance and advanced glycation end products
- Insulin resistance and the hepatic insulin-sensitizing substance effect
- Detection, screening and diagnosis - a topic of debate
- Diagnosis of insulin resistance
- IGT versus IFG
- Who should be screened?
- Screening tests
- Other considerations
CHAPTER 4 EPIDEMIOLOGY
- Disease definition and classification
- Prevalence of metabolic syndrome
- Metabolic syndrome prevalence methodology
- Impaired fasting glucose prevalence
- Impaired fasting glucose prevalence methodology
- Dyslipidemia prevalence
- Hypercholesterolemia prevalence methodology
- Key patient segmentations
- Hypertension prevalence
- Hypertension prevalence methodology
- Obesity prevalence
- Obesity forecasts
- Obesity prevalence methodology
- Forecast methodology
- Prevalence of obesity in juveniles
CHAPTER 5 CURRENT AND FUTURE TREATMENT OPTIONS
- Importance of treating metabolic syndrome
- Treatment guidelines
- Lifestyle management versus pharmacological treatment
- Lifestyle management
- Current role for pharmacological treatment
- Future treatment options
- Compounds in development for the treatment of metabolic syndrome
- Treatment of insulin resistance
- Cross risk-factor single-pill combination therapies - reducing the pill burden
- Anti-obesity drugs
CHAPTER 6 CURRENT CLINICAL RESEARCH
- Finnish diabetes prevention study group (FDPS)
- STOP-NIDDM
- Troglitazone in prevention of diabetes (TRIPOD)
- Xenical in the prevention of diabetes in obese subjects (XENDOS)
- Early diabetes intervention trial (EDIT)
- Ongoing trials
CHAPTER 7 STAKEHOLDER AWARENESS AND INFLUENCE
- Growing awareness and recognition of metabolic syndrome
- Physician perceptions and influences
- PCPs versus specialists
- Factors influencing physician decision-making
- Physician resistance versus increasing disease awareness
- Concerns regarding long-term compliance with therapy
- Long-term effect of drug therapy
- Other stakeholder perceptions and influences
- Regulatory agencies
- Payers/providers
- Patient awareness
- Clinical trial data
- Epidemiology data
- Epidemiology sources
- Physician research methodology
- Physician sample breakdown
- US
- Japan
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Spain
- UK
- Contributing experts
- Methodology of metabolic syndrome prevalence in STOP-NIDDM trial
- Disclaimer
List of Tables
- Table 1: Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and key associated diseases in the seven major markets in 2003
- Table 2: Key developmental compound with a potential use in the treatment of metabolic syndrome
- Table 3: ATP III diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome
- Table 4: WHO working criteria for metabolic syndrome
- Table 5: Comparison of IGT and IFG prevalence in the US
- Table 6: Summary of major diabetes prevention studies
- Table 7: Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the seven major markets, 2003
- Table 8: US prevalence of impaired fasting glucose broken down by age, 2003
- Table 9: Prevalence of hypercholesterolemia in the seven major markets (000s), 2003-12
- Table 10: US prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia, 2003
- Table 11: US prevalence of low HDL, 2003
- Table 12: Prevalence of low HDL cholesterol (<40mg/dL) in England in 2003
- Table 13: Prevalence of hypertension in the seven major markets (000s), 2003-12
- Table 14: Prevalence of obesity in the seven major markets by age (000s), 2003
- Table 15: Prevalence of overweight in the seven major markets by age (000s), 2003
- Table 16: Forecast prevalence of obesity in the US (000s), 2003-12
- Table 17: Forecast prevalence of overweight in the US (000s), 2003-12
- Table 18: Forecast prevalence of obesity in the UK (000s), 2003-12
- Table 19: Forecast prevalence of overweight in the UK (000s), 2003-12
- Table 20: Management of patients with IFG and/or IGT
- Table 21: Treatment of patients with metabolic syndrome and impaired fasting glucose
- Table 22: Primary and secondary CHD prevention trials with statins in diabetic patients
- Table 23: Treatment of patients with metabolic syndrome and low HDL cholesterol or hypertriglyceridemia
- Table 24: Treatment of patients with metabolic syndrome and hypertension
- Table 25: Developmental pipeline for the treatment of metabolic syndrome
- Table 26: Dual PPARs currently in development
- Table 27: Selected discontinued dual PPARs
- Table 28: Effect of acarbose on disease progression or regression in IGT patients in STOP-NIDDM trial
- Table 29: First-year changes in glucose and insulin levels in PIPOD for subjects receiving troglitazone in the TRIPOD study
- Table 30: First-year changes in glucose and insulin levels in PIPOD for subjects receiving placebo in the TRIPOD study
- Table 31: Physician perceptions statements
- Table 32: Physician perceptions regarding metabolic syndrome (1 = strong disagreement - 5 = strong agreement)
- Table 33: Physician perceptions regarding metabolic syndrome broken down by country and physician type (1 = strong disagreement - 5 = strong agreement)
- Table 34: Cost of therapy associated with metabolic syndrome
- Table 35: US physician sample breakdown, 2003
- Table 36: Japan physician sample breakdown, 2003
- Table 37: France physician sample breakdown, 2003
- Table 38: Germany physician sample breakdown, 2003
- Table 39: Italy physician sample breakdown, 2003
- Table 40: Spain physician sample breakdown, 2003
- Table 41: UK physician sample breakdown, 2003
- Table 42: Metabolic syndrome prevalence methodology
List of Figures
- Figure 1: Key drivers of the metabolic syndrome market to 2012
- Figure 2: Pathophysiological progression to impaired fasting glucose
- Figure 3: Relationship between insulin resistance, IFG and metabolic syndrome
- Figure 4: Inter-relationship of components of metabolic syndrome resulting in increased cardiovascular risk
- Figure 5: Body mass index (BMI) chart
- Figure 6: Diagrammatical summary of the HISS hypothesis
- Figure 7: Progression of IGT and/or IFT to type 2 diabetes
- Figure 8: Comparison of glucose testing
- Figure 9: Proportion of diagnosed dyslipidemia patients with low HDL cholesterol in the seven major markets, 2003
- Figure 10: Steps in therapeutic lifestyle changes for metabolic syndrome
- Figure 11: Treatment of patients with metabolic syndrome and low HDL cholesterol
- Figure 12: Treatment of patients with metabolic syndrome and hypertriglyceridemia
- Figure 13: Treatment of patients with metabolic syndrome and hypertension
- Figure 14: Factors for and against the Polypill, 2003
- Figure 15: Trial design: the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study (FDPS)
- Figure 16: Cumulative probability of remaining free of diabetes in the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study (FDPD)
- Figure 17: Trial design: Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)
- Figure 18: Cumulative incidence of diabetes in the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)
- Figure 19: Trial design: STOP-NIDDM
- Figure 20: Clinical trial design: TRIPOD study
- Figure 21: Clinical trial design: XENDOS
- Figure 22: Prevalence of weight loss after four years of orlistat administration
- Figure 23: Clinical trial design: EDIT trial
- Figure 24: Clinical trial design: NAVIGATOR
- Figure 25: Clinical trial design: DREAM trial
- Figure 26: Statement: I have a good understanding of the elevated risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in metabolic syndrome
- Figure 27: Statement: I am comfortable prescribing drugs for the primary prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular disease
- Figure 28: Statement: I have been closely following research on metabolic syndrome
- Figure 29: Statement: I am concerned about long-term compliance with medications
- Figure 30: Statement: I believe that lifestyle modification is sufficient for borderline levels of metabolic syndrome
- Figure 31: Statement: I am waiting for data from clinical trials demonstrating long-term benefit before I would consider prescribing medications to patients with borderline abnormalities
- Figure 32: Statement: I am waiting for new clinical guidelines before I would consider prescribing medications to patients with borderline abnormalities
- Figure 33: Opposing forces influencing physician decision making: physician resistance versus increasing disease awareness
- Figure 34: Cardiovascular and diabetes stakeholders: Interactions and challenges








