Efficacy of Exercise-Based Interventions for Metabolic Syndrome: An Umbrella Review With Meta-Analyses

IF 7.6 2区医学 Q1 ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM

Obesity Reviews Pub Date : 2026-10-12 Epub Date: 2026-04-26 DOI:10.1111/obr.70144

Eric Tsz-Chun Poon, Hong-Yat Li, Po-San Wong, Wesley Man-Kuk Sum, Jonathan Peter Little, Angelo Sabag

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Regular exercise is a first-line nonpharmacological strategy for managing metabolic syndrome (MetS), but varied exercise modalities and outcomes across studies have led to inconsistent findings that limit clinical guidance.

Objective

To synthesize up-to-date evidence on the efficacy of exercise-based interventions in improving MetS components and cardiometabolic health in individuals with MetS.

Methods

Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Overviews of Reviews guideline, we searched seven databases from inception to May 2025 for systematic reviews with meta-analyses evaluating various types of exercise-based interventions (aerobic, high-intensity interval training [HIIT], resistance, mind–body, and combined aerobic and resistance training). [Correction added on 1 May 2026, after first online publication: The previous sentence has been corrected in this version.] Outcomes included MetS components—waist circumference (WC), systolic/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and fasting blood glucose (FBG)—along with other clinically relevant cardiometabolic parameters.

Results

Twelve systematic reviews with meta-analyses, representing 122 primary studies (9639 participants), were included. Overall, exercise-based interventions significantly improved all MetS components and secondary cardiometabolic outcomes (all p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses showed aerobic and mind–body exercises improved all MetS components, whereas resistance, HIIT, and combined training enhanced specific components. Compared to usual care, combined training elicited larger effects on reducing FBG (−0.73 mmol/L, 95% CI: −1.43 to −0.02), TG (−0.26 mmol/L, 95% CI: −0.48 to −0.05), SBP (−4.25 mmHg, 95% CI: −7.16 to −1.34), and DBP (−3.69 mmHg, 95% CI: −5.18 to −2.20) than aerobic or resistance exercise alone.

Conclusion

This umbrella review represents the largest evaluation specific to patients with MetS to date, indicating that exercise-based interventions, across various modalities, significantly improve MetS components. The findings underscore the versatility of exercise, supporting tailored, patient-centered prescriptions for managing MetS.

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以运动为基础的代谢综合征干预的疗效：一项综合meta分析综述。

背景：定期运动是治疗代谢综合征（MetS）的一线非药物策略，但不同研究的运动方式和结果不同，导致研究结果不一致，限制了临床指导。目的：综合最新的证据，以运动为基础的干预措施在改善MetS患者的代谢成分和心脏代谢健康方面的有效性。方法：根据综述指南的首选报告项目，我们检索了7个数据库，从建立到2025年5月，对各种基于运动的干预措施（有氧、阻力、高强度间歇训练[HIIT]、身心、有氧和阻力联合训练）进行了系统综述和meta分析。结果包括MetS成分-腰围（WC），收缩压/舒张压（SBP/DBP），高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（HDL-C），甘油三酯（TG）和空腹血糖(FBG)-以及其他临床相关的心脏代谢参数。结果：纳入了包含meta分析的12项系统综述，涉及122项主要研究（9639名参与者）。总体而言，以运动为基础的干预措施显著改善了所有MetS成分和继发性心脏代谢结局（所有p）。结论：这项总括性综述是迄今为止针对MetS患者的最大评估，表明以运动为基础的干预措施，通过各种方式，显著改善了MetS成分。研究结果强调了运动的多功能性，支持为管理MetS量身定制的、以患者为中心的处方。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Obesity Reviews 医学-内分泌学与代谢

CiteScore

19.30

自引率

1.10%

发文量

130

审稿时长

1 months

期刊介绍： Obesity Reviews is a monthly journal publishing reviews on all disciplines related to obesity and its comorbidities. This includes basic and behavioral sciences, clinical treatment and outcomes, epidemiology, prevention and public health. The journal should, therefore, appeal to all professionals with an interest in obesity and its comorbidities. Review types may include systematic narrative reviews, quantitative meta-analyses and narrative reviews but all must offer new insights, critical or novel perspectives that will enhance the state of knowledge in the field. The editorial policy is to publish high quality peer-reviewed manuscripts that provide needed new insight into all aspects of obesity and its related comorbidities while minimizing the period between submission and publication.