The Gulliver syndrome: a conceptual framework to address therapeutic inertia in patients with borderline cardiovascular risk profiles.

Front Cardiovasc Med

Sociedad Murciana de Hipertensión Arterial y Riesgo Cardiovascular, Cátedra de Riesgo Cardiovascular, Universidad Católica de Murcia, Murcia, Spain.

Published: August 2025


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Article Abstract

We propose a novel clinical construct, the "Gulliver syndrome", to describe the scenario in which multiple, mildly elevated cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) coexist within an individual and together result in a significantly heightened overall risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This accumulation of small deviations, often dismissed in clinical practice, can exert a synergistic impact on vascular health. Our aim is to formalize this underrecognized phenotype, which falls outside traditional diagnostic entities such as the metabolic syndrome, and to provide a framework that enables early recognition and management. We outline proposed diagnostic criteria, contrast this syndrome with related constructs, support its clinical relevance with emerging literature, and present a representative case. Ultimately, we advocate for this framework as a tool to overcome therapeutic inertia and encourage proactive, multifactorial interventions in primary and preventive care.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12403177PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2025.1652447DOI Listing

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The Gulliver syndrome: a conceptual framework to address therapeutic inertia in patients with borderline cardiovascular risk profiles.

Front Cardiovasc Med

August 2025

Sociedad Murciana de Hipertensión Arterial y Riesgo Cardiovascular, Cátedra de Riesgo Cardiovascular, Universidad Católica de Murcia, Murcia, Spain.

We propose a novel clinical construct, the "Gulliver syndrome", to describe the scenario in which multiple, mildly elevated cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) coexist within an individual and together result in a significantly heightened overall risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This accumulation of small deviations, often dismissed in clinical practice, can exert a synergistic impact on vascular health. Our aim is to formalize this underrecognized phenotype, which falls outside traditional diagnostic entities such as the metabolic syndrome, and to provide a framework that enables early recognition and management.

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