ABSTRACT
Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a group of syndromes caused by the disorder of metabolism of various substances in the body. The main clinical manifestations are dyslipidemia, central obesity, hypertension, abnormal glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. With the changes of diet structure and habits, the incidence rate of MS is increasing, and the patients are younger. It is an important factor in many diseases, such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, cirrhosis and some cancers. MS has seriously affected people's lives and health. Central obesity and insulin resistance are recognized as important pathogenic factors. At present, the pathogenesis of MS and its components has not been fully understood. The clinical manifestations of metabolic syndrome are complex and diverse. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) believes that the occurrence of metabolic syndrome is related to such factors as proper diet, emotional disorders, excessive escape and little movement, old age and physical deficiency. TCM scholars have studied the pathogenesis of MS in such pathological factors as phlegm and blood stasis, such visceral functions as liver, spleen and kidney, roles of Qi and blood, and emotional factors. As the basic substance of organism, Qi is closely related to the process of metabolism. The occurrence of MS is closely related to the rise and fall of Qi moving to and from the body as well as the abnormal gasification function of the transformation of Qi. Qi is derived from the five internal organs, which are respectively called Heart Qi, liver Qi, spleen Qi, lung Qi and kidney Qi. The "Qi of the five internal organs" is involved in the whole process of the generation, transportation and excretion of the essence of the body. Based on the "Qi of five internal organs", this paper discusses the pathogenesis of MS with phlegm, blood stasis and water drink as pathological factors.