Metabolic syndrome, characterized by clustering of multiple metabolic abnormalities including abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, and hypertension, is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke. Genetics play a significant role in determining the individual susceptibility to metabolic syndrome and the inter-individual variation in its associated phenotypes, though these genetic factors remain largely unknown. The long-term goal is to identify the metabolic syndrome susceptibility genes and their functional variants.