Metabolic Syndrome

Rather than a medical entity on its own, the metabolic syndrome is a group of different conditions that can heavily increase the risk of having a heart disease or a stroke. It has been subject for discussion among professionals everywhere, and it has been called several names. Metabolic Syndrome X and Syndrome of Insulin Resistance are two of them. Whatever name you put on it, metabolic syndrome consists on a series of factors that increases potential cardiac and vascular failure.

An individual suffers from metabolic syndrome when any three of the following conditions is met:

  • The waist circumference is higher than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women.
  • The person suffers from hypertension (blood pressure above normal)
  • Low HDL (”good cholesterol”)
  • High LDL (“bad” cholesterol)
  • The person is diabetic or has hyperglycemia, even if diabetes is not diagnosed. (Hyperglycemia = more than 110 mg/dL of blood sugar)

Any person with metabolic syndrome has a potential risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cardiac failure or stroke.

Risk Factors Of Metabolic Syndrome

The risk of developing metabolic syndrome increases with age, with an incidence of about 40 percent in people in their sixties. Obesity is a major cause of metabolic syndrome, mainly because it leads to a reduction on good cholesterol levels, an increase in bad cholesterol levels and an elevation of blood pressure, all at once. As a general rule, a person with a body mass index greater than 25 is considered obese. Other risk factors include a family history of diabetes (predisposition to diabetes is genetic), and a history of several previous cardiac or vascular diseases.

Prevention And Treatment Of Metabolic Syndrome

The metabolic syndrome is perhaps the easiest heart-threatening syndrome to prevent. The best possible way to prevent it is to follow a proper diet, and supplement it with regular exercising. Perform at least 30 minutes of physical activities every day. Walking or aerobics can be good exercises to start with. Keep your diet low in fats and rich in fruits and vegetables. Of course, do not smoke, and keep alcohol consumption to a minimum. As most of the components of metabolic syndrome are reversible, these prevention practices also are good treatment actions.

If you have a family history of type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure, get your doctor to effectively check your health on a regular basis to detect any component of metabolic syndrome and, if necessary, start an early treatment to keep the risks as low as possible.

These simple actions can represent the difference between health and disease.

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