How Is Metabolic Syndrome Treated?
Healthy lifestyle changes are the first line of
treatment for metabolic syndrome. Lifestyle changes include weight loss,
increased physical activity, an improved diet, and quitting smoking.
Medicines are the next line of treatment.
Theyre used to treat and control individual risk factors such as
high
blood pressure, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol (high-density
lipoprotein cholesterol), and high blood sugar. Medicines such as aspirin also
may be used to reduce the risk of blood clots, a condition that often occurs
with metabolic syndrome.
Goals of Treatment
The major goal of treating metabolic syndrome is to
reduce a persons risk for heart disease. Treatment is directed first at
reducing LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), high blood
pressure, and diabetes (if these conditions are present).
The second goal of treatment is to prevent the onset
of type 2 diabetes (if it hasnt already developed). Long-term
complications of diabetes often include heart and kidney disease, vision loss,
and foot or leg amputation. If diabetes is present, the goal of treatment is to
reduce the increased risk for heart disease by controlling all of the risk
factors.
The main emphasis in the treatment of metabolic
syndrome is to lessen the effects of the underlying risk factors that can be
controlled, such as overweight, lack of physical activity, and an unhealthy
diet.
Specific Types of Treatment
Weight Loss
In general, people with metabolic syndrome who are
overweight or obese are urged to reduce their weight by 7 to 10 percent during
the first year of treatment. For example, a person weighing 250 pounds should
try to lose 18 to 25 pounds. A person weighing 300 pounds should try to lose 21
to 30 pounds.
After the first year, people are urged to continue
to lose weight to the extent possible, with a long-range target of lowering
their body mass index (BMI) to less than 25. BMI measures your weight in
relation to your height and gives an estimate of your total body fat. A BMI
between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight. A BMI of 30 or more is considered
obese. A BMI of less than 25 is the goal for prevention and treatment of
metabolic syndrome.
You can calculate your BMI using the National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institutes (NHLBIs)
online calculator, or your
health care provider can calculate your BMI. For more information on losing and
maintaining your weight, see the Diseases and Conditions Index article on
Overweight
and Obesity.
Healthy Eating Plan
For a healthy eating plan, go to the NHLBIs
Aim
for a Healthy Weight Web site and the NHLBIs
Your
Guide to Lowering Cholesterol With TLC. This booklet describes the
Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet.
With the TLC diet, less than 7 percent of your daily
calories should come from saturated fat, and no more than 25 to 35 percent of
your daily calories should come from all fats, including saturated,
trans, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats. You also should
consume less than 200 mg a day of cholesterol. The amounts of fat and
cholesterol in prepared foods can be found on the foods
nutritional
label.
Foods high in soluble fiber also are part of a
healthy eating plan. These foods include:
- Whole grain cereals such as oatmeal and oat
bran
- Fruits such as apples, bananas, oranges, pears,
and prunes
- Legumes such as kidney beans, lentils, chick
peas, black-eyed peas, and lima beans
Fish are an important part of a heart healthy diet.
Fish are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which may help protect the heart
from blood clots and inflammation and reduce the risk for
heart
attack.
You also should try to limit the amount of sodium
and salt that you eat. This means choosing low-sodium and low-salt foods and
no added salt foods and seasonings at the table or when cooking.
The nutritional label on food packaging shows the amount of sodium in the
item.
Try to limit alcoholic beverages. Too much alcohol
will raise your blood pressure and triglyceride level. It will also add extra
calories, which will cause weight gain. Men should have no more than two drinks
containing alcohol a day. Women should have no more than one drink containing
alcohol a day.
Increased Physical Activity
In general, people with metabolic syndrome are urged
to keep up a moderate level of activity, such as brisk walking for at least 30
minutes at least 5 days of the week. This activity can be broken into shorter
periods as neededfor example, three 10-minutes sessions.
The ultimate goal is for people to maintain a
moderate level of physical activity 60 minutes a day for 5 days a week, but
preferably daily. You should talk with your doctor about the best kind of
physical activity for you before starting any kind of program.
Smoking
If you smoke, quitting is important. Among other
known harmful effects on your heart, smoking will raise your triglyceride level
and lower your HDL cholesterol.
Medicines
Your doctor may recommend medicines to help treat
unhealthy cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar.
Unhealthy cholesterol levels are treated by one or more cholesterol-lowering
medicines such as statins, fibrates, or nicotinic acid.
High blood pressure is treated by one or more
antihypertensive medicines such as diuretics or angiotensin-converting enzyme
(ACE) inhibitors. High blood sugar is treated with oral medicines (such as
metformin), insulin injections, or both. Low-dose aspirin can help reduce the
risk of forming blood clots, especially for people at high risk for heart
disease. |