Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors that increase your risk for Coronary Artery Disease, Stroke and Diabetes Type II
You have Metabolic Syndrome if you have 3 of 5 traits:
(IDF and ATP III guidelines)
- Blood pressure equal to or higher than 130/85 mmHg
- Fasting blood sugar (glucose) equal to or higher than 100 mg/dL
- Large waist circumference (length around the waist):
- Men – 40 inches or more
- Women – 35 inches or more
- Low HDL cholesterol:
- Men – under 40 mg/dL
- Women – under 50 mg/dL
- Triglycerides equal to or higher than 150 mg/dL
Treatment
The goal of treatment is to reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes by eliminating the unhealthy traits that increase your risk.
- Lose weight: your body mass index (BMI) should be less than 25.
- Get 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise, such as walking, swimming or bicycling, 5 – 7 days per week.
- Lower your cholesterol: fiber, exercise, weight loss, healthy oils and fats in your diet.
- Lower your blood pressure: exercise, stress reduction, weight loss
- People who smoke need to quit, as this increases all your unhealthy risk factors for heart disease or stroke.
- Add fish or fish oils to your diet. Decrease deep fried fats, saturated fats and hydrogenated or trans-fats.
Causes
The two most important risk factors that may be the cause are:
- Extra weight around the middle of the body (central obesity). The body may be described as “apple-shaped.”
- Insulin resistance, in which the body cannot use insulin effectively. Insulin is needed to help control the amount of sugar in the blood stream by helping blood sugar enter cells. If you have insulin resistance, your body doesn’t respond to insulin, and blood sugar cannot get into cells. As a result, the body produces more and more insulin. Insulin and blood sugar levels rise, affecting kidney function and raising the level of blood fats, such as triglycerides.
Other risk factors include:
- Low household income status
- Soft drink consumption
- Postmenopausal status
- Smoking
- High carbohydrate intake
- Lack of exercise
- No alcohol consumption
- Genetic factors, parental history
You have an increased long-term risk for developing:
- Atherosclerosis
- Diabetes
- Heart attack
- Kidney disease
- Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
- Peripheral artery disease
- Stroke
- Increased mortality rate, reduced quality of life in later years.
If you have any of the above symptoms or are concerned about metabolic syndrome, Type II diabetes or your cardiovascular risk, I can help you change your lifestyle and dietary choices, get on an exercise plan and lose weight. If you are concerned but aren’t sure if you have metabolic syndrome, I can test you. Simple lab testing and physical evaluation can asses your risk.
Metabolic Syndrome