A Perfect Storm Of Health Risks

How many of the following factors apply to you?

• A large waist — more than 89cm in women and 102cm in males.
• High levels of “bad” cholesterol — Triglycerides of 1.7mmol/L or more.
• Low levels of “good” cholesterol — HDL of less than 1.3mmol/L in Women or less than 1.04mmol/L in men.
• Blood pressure higher than 130/85.
• A fasting blood sugar of 5.6mmol/L or higher.

If you don’t know some of those numbers or haven’t checked them in a while, then I highly recommend you do.

Having just one of the five greatly increases your risk of chronic disease but if you can tick 3 or more of those traits then I’m afraid the news really isn’t good: you have Metabolic Syndrome.

Metabolic Syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. It is the main driver of the pandemic of chronic diseases worldwide and it’s on the rise, in the US more than 37% of the population is affected.

Unlike the other pandemic that has been in the front of our minds recently, this pandemic is not spread by an infectious agent but rather by poor lifestyle choices. Metabolic syndrome is driven by insulin resistance where your cells don’t respond normally to insulin anymore. As a result, your blood sugar levels rise even as your body churns out more and more insulin to try to lower your blood sugar.

Untreated, Metabolic Syndrome can lead to a myriad of serious health issues including:

• Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis.)
• Diabetes.
• Heart attack.
• Kidney disease.
• Stroke.
• Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
• Peripheral artery disease.
• Cardiovascular disease.

Unfortunately, there is no magic pill to reverse the condition. A disease caused by poor lifestyle choices can only be reversed by permanent lifestyle change.

Focus on the following to boost your metabolic health and give yourself the best chance of living a healthy and long life:

• Getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days for a total of at least 150 minutes per week.
• Eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, lean protein, and whole grains.
• Maintaining a healthy weight, especially around your tummy.
• Not smoking.

Remember, Strove is here to help you with all of the above. Please get in touch if you need some more personalised guidance. It is never too late to make a change for your health.

Dr. Jarrad Van Zuydam | Sports Physician