IDF
The International Diabetes Federation consensus worldwide definition of metabolic syndrome (2006) is:
Central obesity (defined as waist circumference# with ethnicity-specific values) AND any two of the following:

Raised triglycerides: > 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L), or specific treatment for this lipid abnormality
Reduced HDL cholesterol:  < 40 mg/dL (1.03 mmol/L) in males, < 50 mg/dL (1.29 mmol/L) in females, or specific treatment for this lipid abnormality
Raised blood pressure (BP): systolic BP > 130 or diastolic BP >85 mm Hg, or treatment of previously diagnosed hypertension
Raised fasting plasma glucose (FPG): >100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L), or previously diagnosed type 2 diabetesIf FPG is >5.6 mmol/L or 100 mg/dL, an oral glucose tolerance test is strongly recommended, but is not necessary to define presence of the syndrome.
Side effects
Use of sulfasalazine is contraindicated in people with sulfa allergies and in those with urinary tract obstructions, intestinal obstructions, and severe liver or kidney problems.Sulfasalazine metabolizes to sulfapyridine. Serum levels should be monitored every three months, and more frequently at the outset. Serum levels above 50 μg/L are associated with side effects. In rare cases, sulfasalazine can cause severe depression in young males. It can also cause oligospermia and temporary infertility. Immune thrombocytopenia has been reported.Sulfasalazine inhibits dihydropteroate synthase, and can cause folate deficiency and megaloblastic anemia. and various other undesirable effects.Sulfasalazine can cause hemolytic anemia in people with G6PD deficiency.Sulfasalazine can cause kidney stones. Sulfasalazine may cause stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, headache, dizziness, or unusual tiredness. Skin and urine can become orange, with occasional allergic reactions.Sulfasalazine may cause sulfhemoglobinemia. Pharmacology
Around 90% of a dose of sulfasalazine reaches the colon, where most of it is metabolized by bacteria into sulfapyridine and mesalazine (also known as 5-aminosalicylic acid or 5-ASA). Both metabolites are active; most of the sulfapyridine is absorbed and then further metabolized, but most mesalazine is not, and remains in the colon.A mix of unchanged, hydroxylated, and glucuronidated sulfapyridine is eliminated in urine, as is acetylated mesalazine and unmetabolized sulfasalazine.The mechanism of action is not clear, but it appears that sulfasalazine and its metabolites have immunosuppressive, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects. It also appears to inhibit the cystine-glutamate antiporter. Chemistry
It is a codrug which is a combination of sulfapyridine and 5-aminosalicylic acid coupled with an azo linkage.