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Metabolic syndrome is not a disease. It is the name for a **group of risk
factors** for heart disease, diabetes and other problems. You can have one of
them; people often have several. **When you have at least three, it is called
metabolic syndrome**, and the more you have, the higher your risk of heart
disease, diabetes and stroke.
The five, with the numbers that define them
| Risk factor | The threshold |
|---|---|
| A large waistline — abdominal obesity, "an apple shape" | 35 inches or more for women; 40 inches or more for men |
| High triglycerides — a type of fat in the blood | 150 mg/dL or higher |
| Low HDL cholesterol — the "good" kind, which removes cholesterol from the arteries | Under 50 mg/dL for women; under 40 mg/dL for men |
| High blood pressure | 130/85 mmHg or higher |
| High fasting blood sugar — mildly high sugar can be an early sign of diabetes | 100 mg/dL or higher |
**Most of these have no obvious signs or symptoms, except the large
waistline.** That single visible one is also, on its own, the strongest: **too
much fat around the stomach is a greater risk factor for heart disease than
fat elsewhere on the body.**
What causes it
Several things acting together:
- Overweight and obesity
- An inactive lifestyle
- Insulin resistance — the body unable to use insulin properly. Insulin
moves blood sugar into cells for energy, so resistance leads to high blood
sugar - Age — risk rises as you get older
- Genetics — ethnicity and family history
People with metabolic syndrome often also have **excessive blood clotting and
inflammation** throughout the body. Researchers do not know whether those
cause metabolic syndrome or worsen it.
Who is at higher risk
The three most important factors are **abdominal obesity, an inactive
lifestyle and insulin resistance**. Groups at increased risk:
- Some racial and ethnic groups — Mexican Americans have the highest rate,
followed by White and Black people - People with diabetes, or a sibling or parent with diabetes
- Women with polycystic ovary syndrome
- People taking medicines that cause **weight gain, or changes in blood
pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar**
Treatment, and prevention, are the same thing
The most important treatment is a heart-healthy lifestyle:
- A heart-healthy eating plan limiting saturated and trans fats, with
fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats - Aiming for a healthy weight
- Managing stress
- Regular physical activity
- Quitting smoking, or not starting
Where that is not enough, medicines — for cholesterol, or blood pressure.
The best way to prevent metabolic syndrome is the same list. That is
unusual and worth noticing: the treatment and the prevention are identical,
which means starting before you qualify for the diagnosis costs nothing extra.
Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, via MedlinePlus.
Licens: CC0 1.0 (offentligt eje) · Bearbejdet efter medlineplus.gov
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