Metabolic syndrome (Met-S) is a constellation of minimum three of the following signs and symptoms: visceral obesity, arterial hypertonia, hyperglycemia (insulin resistance or pre-diabetes), hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia and low serum levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Metabolic syndrome is considered as significant risk factor for the development of diabetes mellitus and vascular diseases (cardio-vascular, cerebro-vascular and peripheral vascular).

According the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, elements of the metabolic syndrome are between the most important risk factors for socially important non-communicable diseases. Some authors consider overweight and obesity as part of the invincible pandemics of the 21-th century.

In 2022, 1 of 8 persons has obesity (all around the world). Adult obesity has doubled since 1990. In 2022, 2.5 billion adults were overweight and 890 million have obesity. In Europe, overweight and obesity affect 60 % of adults and about 30 % of children.

For Bulgaria, the statistical data demonstrate high percent of metabolic syndrome and obesity, low levels of physical activity, high levels of mortality from coronary arterial disease and stroke, low levels of life expectancy at birth and healthy life expectancy at birth and at age 65.

The sedentary lifestyle and the subsequent epidemic of metabolic syndrome and obesity imposed the necessity to ameliorate the health culture of the population and the professional competencies of medical doctors and health professionals in the field of physical prevention and rehabilitation of these socially important diseases.

We prepared educational materials and we created an electronic library on the topic (free-of-charge for our learners), containing the diagnostic and the therapeutic algorithm for these conditions. We included recommendations of the International and the European Societies of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (lifestyle interventions – exercise, diet, behavioral therapy for weight reduction; aerobic training, strength and endurance exercises, high-intensity exercises). In the complex rehabilitation program, we comprised some sportive activities (walking, running, swimming), mechano-therapy, soft-tissue techniques (lymphatic drainage, anti-cellulite massage) and preformed physical modalities (electrical stimulations, ultra-sound, radio-frequency, laser, etc.).

Current article presents the structure of the electronic repository, its significance for the health education of the patients and apprentices.

We applied the repository during the educational process of our students and trainees, members of the multi-disciplinary multi-professional rehabilitation team: medical doctors – residents in PRM, nurses, physiotherapists, etc. We analyze the impact of the application of these educational materials on the health literacy and on professional competencies of learners – during the university education and during long-life learning courses.

Keywords: Metabolic syndrome, overweight, obesity, electronic library, education, prevention, physical therapy, rehabilitation.