Pine Bark Extract Helps Fight Heart Disease and Diabetes Risk Factors Addressing the risk factors for metabolic syndrome is important: people with metabolic syndrome are 3 times more likely to suffer and die from cardiovascular disease. Metabolic Syndrome is the increasingly common constellation of any three of abdominal obesity, elevated triglycerides, low HDL-cholesterol, high blood pressure and elevated blood sugar. It now affects a whopping 25% of all adults in the world. Treating it is important in the prevention of diabetes and