What can result from the body's inability to excrete a medication, leading to dangerous drug levels?

Cumulative effects occur when a medication is administered repeatedly and the body is unable to excrete it effectively. This can lead to the accumulation of the drug in the body, which may result in increasingly higher concentrations over time. As the medication builds up, it can surpass therapeutic levels and lead to adverse side effects or toxicity.

The other options describe different phenomena related to drug interactions or effects, but they do not specifically address the situation of medication accumulation due to impaired excretion. Cross-tolerance refers to the reduced sensitivity to a drug due to exposure to another substance, metabolic syndrome describes a cluster of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes, and chronic toxicity refers to the long-term exposure and effects of substances in the body rather than the immediate accumulation from impaired clearance. Thus, the correct answer focuses directly on the consequence of impaired drug elimination leading to hazardous levels of medication.