As antioxidants play a protective role in the pathophysiology of diabetes and 
cardiovascular diseases, understanding the physiological status of antioxidant 
concentration among people at high risk for developing these conditions, such as 
Metabolic Syndrome, is of interest. In present study out of 187 first degree 
non-diabetic relatives and 192 non-diabetic spouses, 33.1% and 19.7% were found 
to have metabolic syndrome respectively. Subjects with metabolic syndrome (≥3 
risk factors) had poor antioxidants status as reflected by significantly low 
levels of vitamin A, C & E and significantly increased (p<0.01) oxidative stress 
as compared to those without metabolic syndrome. At the same time serum insulin 
levels and insulin resistance were found to be significantly high (p<0.001) in 
metabolic syndrome. A strong positive correlation (r=0.946; p<0.001) between 
oxidative stress and insulin resistance was observed in metabolic syndrome. Low 
levels of antioxidants and increased oxidative stress with insulin resistance in 
metabolic syndrome suggests that besides therapeutic life style changes (TLC) as 
suggested in ATP III guidelines inclusion of antioxidant vitamins, fruits and 
vegetable could be beneficial to ward off the consequences of metabolic 
syndrome.