What is Metabolic Syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is a collection of conditions that occur together to increase a women’s risk of heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, stroke, and type II diabetes.
It isn’t a disease, so much as a collection of conditions. However, it can still be dangerous if left untreated, possibly leading to the diseases listed above: peripheral vascular disease, heart disease, stroke, and type II diabetes.
The identification of metabolic syndrome provides a window of opportunity for treatment to prevent disease.
The following risk factors co-exist in metabolic syndrome…
- abdominal obesity
- blood fat and cholesterol disorders
- elevated blood pressures
- insulin resistance
- pro-blood clot state
- pro-inflammatory state
Abdominal obesity and insulin resistance are the dominant risk factors. Other conditions that affect metabolic syndrome include physical inactivity, aging, hormonal imbalances, and genetic predisposition.
Since it isn’t a disease, we diagnose metabolic syndrome by looking for co-existing symptoms. Any three of the following are required to meet the classification of metabolic syndrome…
- abdominal obesity (waist circumference >35 inches)
- elevated triglycerides (>150)
- low HDL (<50)
- elevated blood pressure (> 130/85)
- elevated fasting glucose (>110)
Metabolic Syndrome is not uncommon. It is estimated that over 50 million Americans have it. We treat it by managing a patient’s weight loss, increasing physical activity, treating hypertension, prescribing daily aspirin therapy to reduce pro-blood clot states, and treating elevated triglycerides and/or low HDL levels.
