Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major multifactorial condition that predisposes adults to type 2 diabetes and CVD. It is defined as having at least three of five cardiometabolic risk components: 1) high fasting triglyceride level, 2) low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 3) elevated fasting plasma glucose, 4) large waist circumference (abdominal obesity), and 5) hypertension. In the US Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), a 15-year multi-centre prospective cohort study of women from five racial/ethnic groups, the incidence of MetS increased as midlife women underwent the menopausal transition (MT). A model is sought to examine the interdependent progression of the five MetS components and the influence of demographic covariates.