gerald reaven, the discoverer of syndrome x, and a panel of world-class investigators thoughtfully summarize our current understanding of how insulin resistance and its compensating hyperinsulinemia play a major role in the pathogenesis and clinical course of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease-the so-called diseases of western civilization. these distinguished authorities detail, for the first time, the pathophysiological consequences and the clinical syndromes, excluding type 2 diabetes, related to insulin resistance. they also examine the genetic and lifestyle factors that contribute to the wide differences in insulin action that exist in the population at large. timely and authoritative, insulin resistance: the metabolic syndrome x illuminates the full importance of insulin resistance as a major cause of hypertension, heart disease, and polycystic ovary syndrome.