Clinical Research Directory

Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female ≥21 and ≤60 years old. * Body mass index \>25 and ≤35 kg/m2 and is weight stable (\<5 kg weight change in the past 6 months). BMI is limited to ≤35 kg/m2 for easier vascular access and cardiac imaging. * Meet 3 of 5 National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III Metabolic Syndrome criteria: * Increased waist circumference (≥102 cm in men; ≥88 cm in women) * Elevated triglycerides (≥150 mg/dl) * Reduced HDL-cholesterol (\<40mg/dl in men, \<50 mg/dl in women) * High blood pressure (≥130 mmHg systolic or ≥85mmHg diastolic) * Elevated fasting glucose (≥100 mg/dl) * Subject may participate if on the following drugs, provided the drug doses have been stable for at least 3 months. * Ace inhibitor * ARB * HMG CoA reductase inhibitor * Beta blocker * Calcium channel blockers * Alpha-adrenergic antagonist * Statin Exclusion Criteria: * A diagnosis of any type of diabetes or history of diabetes medication use * Recently active (\>20 min of moderate/high intensity exercise, 2 times/week) * Subjects who are smokers or who have quit smoking \<5 years * Subjects with hypertriglyceridemia (\>400 mg/dl) or hypercholesterolemia (\>260 mg/dl) * Subjects with BP\>160/90 * Subjects with a history of significant metabolic, cardiac, cerebrovascular, hematological, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, liver, renal, or endocrine disease or malignancy * Pregnant (as evidenced by positive pregnancy test) or nursing women * Subjects with contraindications to participation in an exercise training program * Allergic to perflutren * A prior use of Liraglutide