Raman spectroscopy in the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is defined as a set of metabolic disorders, including central obesity, dyslipidemia, arterial hypertension, and hyperglycemia. The prevalence of MetS is increasing in epidemic proportions in both developed and developing countries. MetS increment has been paralleled by the growing epidemic of type-2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Raman spectroscopy is a noninvasive optical technique that has been used in MetS and associated diseases as an alternative to more invasive routine laboratory studies. Raman Spectroscopy's medical diagnosis application is based on the fact that the molecular composition of healthy tissues or biofluids changes due to disease. Identifying biomarkers with this technique can be used for early diagnosis, monitoring disease evolution, and response to treatment. This article reviews recent applications which demonstrate the potential of Raman spectroscopy in the assessment of MetS diseases.