Table 3 Example inclusion and exclusion criteria

Study population

• Adult patients (18 years or older)

• Adult patients with a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome as per author definition

• Adult patients undergoing moderate or highly invasive surgery of all types

Study surgical procedure

• Adult patients undergoing moderate or highly invasive surgery of all types

Study design

• Observational studies (e.g. cohort studies, case-control studies)

• Published peer-reviewed articles in the English language

Study population

• Surgical patients < 18 years of age

• Animals

• Pregnant women

Study surgical procedure

• Minor procedures

• Caesarean section

• Trauma surgery

• Day surgical procedures

• Cataract procedures

• Plastic surgery

• Cosmetic surgery

• Cardiac catheterisation

• Cystoscopy procedures

• Endoscopy procedures

• Colonoscopy procedures

• Lesion removal

Study design

• Interventional studies

• Conference procedures

• Narrative reviews

• Editorials

• Lectures and presentations

• Articles in a language other than English