Metabolic Syndrome- What You Need to Know
What is Metabolic Syndrome?
Metabolic Syndrome, also known as Syndrome X, is a cluster of conditions that co-exist to increase your risk or likelihood of developing a heart disease, a stroke or medical conditions such as diabetes. These conditions include:
- Increased blood pressure (higher than 130/85 mmHg)
- Higher fasting blood sugar levels (greater than 100 mg/dL) or insulin resistance1
- High triglyceride levels (higher than 150 mg/dL)
- Lower HDL or good cholesterol levels (lesser than 40 mg/dL for men & 50 mg/dL for women)
- Central obesity or excessive fat deposition around the waist/abdomen (greater than 40 inches for men & 35 inches for women)
It is important to note that having three or more factors ticked off from this list will result in increased risk for health complications and result in a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome.
In order to come to a complete diagnosis, your doctor might have to run a couple of tests and also check parameters like waist circumference, blood triglyceride levels, fasting blood sugar levels or HbA1C along with your blood pressure as well as cholesterol levels. Deviations in any three or more of these tests could indicate that you’re suffering from metabolic syndrome.
Some other factors that could increase your risk:
Metabolic syndrome does not necessarily have specific signs and symptoms, some of it’s risk factors may be under your control while others might not. Some modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors that could increase your chances of developing metabolic syndrome are:
Modifiable factors:
- Physical inactivity
- Unhealthy diet
- Other diseases like PCOD (PolyCystic Ovarian Disease), fatty liver disease & gall bladder stones.
Non-Modifiable factors:
- Increasing age
- Family history of metabolic syndrome
- Body type (apple shaped body types are more prone to developing metabolic syndrome than pear shaped body types due to increased fat deposition around the waist area)
What other health problems can Metabolic Syndrome lead to?
Health complications as a result of metabolic syndrome are often long-term and include severe medical conditions like:
- Clogging of the arteries or atherosclerosis
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Liver disease (primarily NAFL or Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver)
- Kidney disease
How can I treat or prevent metabolic syndrome?
A lifelong commitment to a healthy lifestyle & maintaining a healthy weight may help in the treatment as well as reducing your risk for developing metabolic syndrome. Eating a healthy and a well-balanced diet which includes foods from all food groups such as whole grains, pulses & legumes, milk & milk products, nuts & seeds, fruits & vegetables will help one achieve optimal health in the long run.
Getting enough amount of regular physical activity, be it brisk walking, jogging, running, swimming, gym workout or playing a sport is extremely important to keep your body moving and prevent excessive weight gain in the long run.
Limiting the intake of packaged and processed foods helps us avoid excessive intake of unhealthy added sugar, sodium and trans fats which are detrimental to our health. Cutting down on smoking and alcohol will help to keep our body healthy & fit.
Key Takeaways:
- Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that increase your likelihood of developing serious medical conditions like diabetes, heart disease and stroke. This can also lead to other medical conditions like atherosclerosis, liver and kidney disease.
- Regular physical activity, avoiding processed & junk foods, cutting down on smoking and alcohol intake & focusing more on eating a well-balanced diet to maintain a healthy weight will help to lower one’s risk of developing metabolic disorder in the long run.
Links & References:
- https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/insulin-resistance-syndrome
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1880831/
- https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/metabolic-syndrome/about-metabolic-syndrome
