Abstract
There are over 2800 active registered users on our web-based manuscript submission and peer-review system. Manuscript submissions have increased by 350% in the last 5 years; the criteria for acceptance are very high, and our rejection rate is over 50%. Peer review in the journal is thorough, transparent, and accelerated, with the time between manuscript submission and first decision 24 days. All accepted manuscripts are published online ahead of print, including Medline listing, within 8–12 weeks of acceptance.
In September, 2006, I assumed the editorship of Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders and provided my 5-year vision for the journal in the first issue of 2007. 1 An early milestone for the journal occurred in 2008 when it was officially accepted by Medline/PubMed. This success was due to the fact that the journal has always enjoyed strong leadership by outstanding recognized experts in the field, including the two previous editors and other individuals who have played a critical role in the journal's editorial development. Dr. Paresh Dandona launched the journal in 2003 with strong support from Drs. Eric Freedland and Richard Adler, and Vicki Cohn and the staff at Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers, with the first issue of the journal appearing in March, 2003. In this initial period, the journal published important review articles that helped define this emerging field, and the number of original manuscripts increased gradually.
Given the numerous constraints on his time, Dr. Dandona then handed over the editorship to Dr. Vivian Fonseca in January 2005. Dr. Fonseca was editor of the journal from 2005 to 2006. Dr. Fonseca continued to build on Dr. Dandona's initial success with the journal. During his tenure he continued to encourage the submission of original manuscripts and published critical articles that brought the journal to a new level of excellence and participation. Also, at this time there was much discussion and controversy about the definition and existence of the metabolic syndrome, and he used the journal as an effective forum for debate.
In a joint scientific statement in 2009 entitled “Harmonizing the metabolic syndrome,” Alberti and colleagues, including Scott Grundy and others, arrived at a uniform definition of metabolic syndrome with no obligatory component. 2 Whereas any three of the five metabolic features—elevated waist circumference, high triglycerides, low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), increased blood pressure, and elevated blood glucose levels—were included in the definition of the metabolic syndrome, a clear departure is the definition of adiposity because unlike the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III), under the new definition increased waist circumference criteria by population and country-specific definitions were adopted. 2 This harmonization in definition is clearly a major step forward because this is a global epidemic. The ongoing controversy about the definition continues, to some extent, to this day. However, it needs to be emphasized that on the basis of recent studies at the cellular level, metabolic syndrome appears to be a high-risk obesity state.
Now, at the start of our tenth year of publication, the imperative for Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders is greater than ever. A recent sobering statistic reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, states an increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome of 35.2% in Americans over the age of 20. 2 This high prevalence appears to be a global problem and is not particular to the United States. While the journal continues to publish largely clinical/translational studies as they relate to metabolic syndrome and related disorders, including obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, inflammation, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, the number of manuscripts with respect to related disorders of polycystic ovary syndrome and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NASH) is increasing. Furthermore, there is a clearer appreciation of the increased risk of certain cancers in patients with metabolic syndrome, such as breast and colon, and elucidating the mechanism(s) of this risk can have major implications in the management of these common cancers. There is also a notable increase in submissions pertaining to molecular and cellular research and animal models.
The majority of manuscripts in the journal continue to be predominantly original reports. Each issue also contains an editorial and/or a review on a current hot topic germane to the field. The future goal of the journal is to continue to publish manuscripts embracing basic science, clinical and translational research, and population science as they relate to the broad areas of metabolic syndrome and related disorders.
Moving forward, we will continue to expand our global reach and embrace the understanding of the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome and its management in Asia and other parts of the world. We look forward to an increasing number of high-quality manuscripts in preparation for a move to monthly publication in the next few years.
In closing, I would like to thank our authors for their active participation in and support of the journal, and my two outstanding associate editors, Drs. Nicola Abate and Mandeep Bajaj. One of the key driving forces behind the journal's success has been our powerful Editorial Board, including top physicians and scientists from Asia, Europe, South Africa, South America, the Middle East, and the United States, and I am grateful for their strong support.
Finally, many thanks to our readers, whose active participation, suggestions, and feedback have been essential in shaping the journal.