BACKGROUND The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of inter-related risk factors of metabolic origin characterized by insulin resistance. It promotes the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and/or type 2 diabetes mellitus. According to the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) criteria, metabolic syndrome is defined by three or more of the following criteria: central obesity, hypertriglyceridaemia, low HDL, high blood pressure and hyperglycaemia. Increased free radical production and thus oxidative stress have been implicated in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome. As a result, there is depletion of defences against free radical damage which comprise enzymatic defences and antioxidant vitamins like vitamins C and E. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the total antioxidant status and vitamins C and E levels in metabolic syndrome subjects and healthy controls. 1 MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred subjects aged 21 to 73 years that satisfied the ATP III criteria for metabolic syndrome were studied along with one hundred age- and sex matched apparently healthy controls. Blood pressure (mmHg), waist circumference (cm), weight (Kg) and height (m) of participants were measured and body mass index (Kg/m2) calculated. Fasting plasma glucose (mmol/L), triglyceride (mmol/L), total cholesterol (mmol/L), high density lipoprotein (mmol/L), low density lipoprotein (mmol/L), vitamins C (μmol/L) and E (μmol/L) and total antioxidant (mmol/L) status were estimated. RESULTS The mean plasma vitamin C of subjects (27.5 ± 7.4μmol/L) was significantly lower (P=0.0001) than that of controls (44.3 ± 7.3μmol/L). The mean plasma vitamin E of subjects (16.9 ± 4.9μmol/L) was significantly lower (P=0.0001) than that of controls (30.8 ± 6.1μmol/L). The mean plasma total antioxidant status of subjects (1.2 ± 0.3mmol/L) was significantly lower (P=0.0001) than that of controls (1.6 ± 0.3mmol/L). The mean age of subjects was 51.4 ± 10.9 years and it was not significantly different from that of controls which was 48.6 ± 12.1 years (P=0.0001). The means of the individual components of metabolic syndrome were significantly higher in subjects compared with controls - systolic blood pressure (P=0.0001), diastolic blood pressure (P=0.0001), waist circumference (P=0.0001), body mass index (P=0.001), fasting plasma glucose (P=0.0001), 2 plasma triglyceride (P=0.0001), plasma total cholesterol (P=0.0001), plasma low density lipoprotein (P=0.01). The mean plasma high density lipoprotein of subjects (1.4 ± 0.6mmol/L) was significantly lower (P=0.0001) than that of controls (1.3 ± 0.3mmol/L). CONCLUSION The reduced plasma levels of vitamins C and E and total antioxidant status in metabolic syndrome subjects in UPTH compared with that of controls may be due to increased oxidative stress.