What Is Metabolic Syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of risk
factors linked to
overweight
and obesity that increase your chance for heart disease and other health
problems such as diabetes and stroke. The term metabolic refers to
the biochemical processes involved in the bodys normal functioning. Risk
factors are behaviors or conditions that increase your chance of getting a
disease. In this article, heart disease refers to
coronary
heart disease.
The five conditions listed below are metabolic risk
factors for heart disease. A person can develop any one of these risk factors
by itself, but they tend to occur together. Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed
when a person has at least three of these heart disease risk factors:
- A large waistline. This is also called abdominal
obesity or having an apple shape. Excess fat in the abdominal area
is a greater risk factor for heart disease than excess fat in other parts of
the body, such as on the hips.
- A higher than normal triglyceride level in the
blood (or youre on medicine to treat high triglycerides). Triglycerides
are a type of fat found in the blood.
- A lower than normal level of HDL cholesterol
(high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) in the blood (or youre on medicine
to treat low HDL). HDL is considered good cholesterol because it
lowers your chances of heart disease. Low levels of HDL increase your chances
of heart disease.
- Higher than normal blood pressure (or youre
on medicine to treat
high
blood pressure). Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers, usually written
one on top of or before the other, such as 120/80. The top or first number,
called the systolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in the bloodstream
when your heart beats. The bottom or second number, called the diastolic blood
pressure, measures the pressure in your bloodstream between heartbeats when the
heart is relaxed.
- Higher than normal fasting blood sugar (glucose)
(or youre on medicine to treat high blood sugar). Mildly high blood sugar
can be an early warning sign of diabetes.
The more of these risk factors you have, the greater
your chance of developing heart disease, diabetes, or a stroke. In general, a
person with metabolic syndrome is twice as likely to develop heart disease and
five times as likely to develop diabetes as someone without metabolic
syndrome.
Other risk factors aside from those of the metabolic
syndrome also increase your risk for heart disease. A high level of LDL
cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; considered bad
cholesterol) and smoking, for example, are key risk factors for heart disease,
but they arent components of metabolic syndrome. Even a single risk
factor raises your risk for heart disease, and every risk factor should be
lowered to reduce the risk.
The chance of developing metabolic syndrome is
closely linked to being overweight or obese and to a lack of physical activity.
Another cause is insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a condition in which
the body cant use its insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone the body
uses to help change blood sugar into energy. Insulin resistance can lead to
high blood sugar levels and is closely linked with being overweight or
obese.
Genetics (ethnicity and family history) and older
age are other important underlying causes of metabolic syndrome.
Outlook
About 47 million adults in the United States (almost
25 percent) have metabolic syndrome, and the numbers continue to grow. The
increasing number of people with this condition is connected to the rise in
obesity rates among adults. In the future, metabolic syndrome may overtake
smoking as the leading risk factor for heart disease.
Its possible to prevent or delay metabolic
syndrome, mainly with lifestyle changes. A healthy lifestyle is a lifelong
commitment. Successfully controlling metabolic syndrome takes a long-term
effort and teamwork with your health care providers.
April 2007
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