The Metabolic Syndrome – A Wakeup Call to Change Your Habits

The Metabolic Syndrome (aka Syndrome X) is a group of risk factors that increase the chance of developing heart disease and diabetes. According to the American Heart Association/National Heart Lung and Blood Institute you have the metabolic syndrome if you have at least 3 of the following conditions.

• You are a man with a waist greater than 40 inches or a woman with a waist greater than 35 inches.
• Your triglyceride level is 150 mg/dl or greater.
• Your HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) is less than 40 mg/dl for men and less than 50 mg/dl for women.
• Your blood pressure is greater than 130/80 mm Hg or currently taking high blood pressure medication.
• Your blood sugar is greater than 100 mg/dl or you are currently taking medications to lower your blood sugar.

Knowing if you fit the definition of having the metabolic syndrome is important because people in this group are up to twice as likely to develop heart disease and up to 5 times more likely to develop diabetes. In fact, the more of the above characteristics you have the greater the risks. Health professionals use the metabolic syndrome as a tool to asses health risk but it does not replace cardiovascular risk assessment.

The Metabolic Syndrome is quite common affecting approximately 23% of Americans. It is more common in older people than the young. The prevalence ranges from about 6% in those aged 20 to 29 to about 43% in those aged 60 to 69.

There are two risk factors associated with the metabolic syndrome. These are obesity and insulin resistance. This is not to say that all people with the metabolic syndrome have these risk factors. They just indicate an increased risk of developing the metabolic syndrome.

The dramatic rise in obesity in recent years is thought to be a key factor in the increase in the metabolic syndrome also seen. Fat cells secrete many different chemicals into the circulation. The end results include decreased insulin sensitivity, increased cholesterol production and increased inflammation. The kind of fat deep inside the abdominal cavity is more responsible for these negative effects than fat in the rest of the body. This is why a larger waist measurement is important.

Insulin is responsible for helping glucose enter cells. Insulin resistance describes a state when the cells do not respond to normal levels of insulin and glucose levels increase. The pancreas responds by making more insulin. Eventually the pancreas fails to make enough insulin to force glucose into the cells and the body now has increased glucose levels and increased insulin levels. The increased insulin levels result in increased triglycerides, It also interferes with how your kidneys work so blood pressure increases.

Management of the metabolic syndrome involves reducing the risks for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The best way to decrease these risks is through lifestyle modifications. An individual is encouraged to lose weight, increase activity and eat a healthy diet. If a person has high blood pressure, high blood sugar and/or high cholesterol, appropriate drug therapy should be used under the supervision of a physician.

A mediterranean style diet has been shown to be effective in reducing the number of people with the metabolic syndrome. This type of diet can also help you to lose weight and keep high blood pressure under control. Combine this with an exercise program getting 30 to 60 minutes a day of moderate intensity exercise every day for best results.

Excellent resources for more information.

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/ms/ms_whatis.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/metabolic%20syndrome/DS00522
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