Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a term used to describe a set of heart
disease risk factors that have been found to cluster in some people,
increasing the risk of heart attack by 4 to 20 times over that of
people without these factors.
Metabolic syndrome or Syndrome X has
become increasingly common in the United States. It is estimated
that about a quarter of US adults have it.
What is the metabolic syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is characterized by the presence of a group of
metabolic risk factors in a person. It is common, treatable and
poorly recognized for the serious complications that arise from
having it.
If you have three or more of these characteristics you may be at
risk for a diagnosis of Metabolic Syndrome:
- “Central obesity”- waist measurement for:
- Men — Greater than 40 inches
- Women — Greater than 35 inches
- Fasting blood triglycerides — Greater than or equal to 150 mg/dL
- Low HDL cholesterol or “Good” cholesterol:
- Men— Less than 40 mg/dL
- Women— Less than 50 mg/dL
- Elevated Blood pressure — Greater than or equal to 130/85 mmHg
- Fasting Blood Glucose greater than or equal to 110 mg/dL
What causes metabolic syndrome?
The underlying causes of this syndrome are
overweight / obesity,
physical inactivity and genetic factors. Usually through a healthy
diet and moderate exercise you can reverse high fasting blood
glucose, high triglycerides and cholesterol as well as achieve a
healthy body weight if you are diligent to control these risk
factors before they get to a point beyond your control. Physical
activity changes muscle fiber content and the blood supply to the
muscle, allowing increased control of blood lipid (cholesterol and
triglyceride) levels and boosting insulin sensitivity. People with
the metabolic syndrome are at increased risk of coronary heart
disease, type 2 diabetes, and other diseases related to plaque
buildups in artery walls (e.g., stroke and peripheral vascular
disease).
Who has the metabolic syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome or more commonly referred to as Syndrome X has
become increasingly common in the United States. It is estimated
that about a quarter of US adults have it.
The chief abnormality present in syndrome X is insulin resistance.
Metabolic syndrome is also called the “insulin resistance syndrome”
because the body cannot use insulin efficiently. If left untreated
or undiagnosed, the insulin resistance is severe enough that people
eventually develop type 2 diabetes. When diabetes occurs, the high
risk of cardiovascular complications goes even higher.
Some people are genetically predisposed to insulin resistance.
Acquired factors, such as excess body fat and physical inactivity,
can bring on insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in these
people. Most people with insulin resistance have a greater amount of
body fat around their midsection as opposed to their hip region.
This means that a man’s “beer belly” or a woman who is “apple
shaped” as opposed to being “pear shaped” is at a greater risk of
having the risk factors associated with Syndrome X. That is why
carrying most of your excess weight in your abdominal region is more
dangerous than carrying it lower on your body. The excess fat around
your critical organs (heart, liver, lungs, and intestines) carries
with it increased risk of developing full blown heart disease and
type 2 diabetes.
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easily incorporate into your daily life.
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