What is Metabolic Syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that make a person more likely to get heart disease or type 2 diabetes and increases the risk of getting heart attack and stroke.

To have metabolic syndrome, a person must have at least 3 of these 5 conditions:

•Obesity with a large belly 

– The term "obese" is used for people who have a "body mass index" or "BMI" of 30 or more. 

– A large belly means a waist measurement greater than 40 inches for men or greater than 35 inches for women

•Increased blood pressure

•High blood sugar

•High triglycerides

•Low HDL cholesterol

•Increased blood pressure

– Blood pressure measurements have 2 numbers. For instance, your doctor might say your blood pressure is "140 over 90." The top number is the pressure inside your arteries when your heart is contracting. The bottom number is the pressure inside your arteries when your heart is relaxed. You have increased blood pressure if:

•The top number is 130 or higher

•The bottom number is 85 or higher

•You take medicine for high blood pressure

•High blood sugar

– All the cells in your body need sugar to work normally. Sugar gets into the cells with the help of a hormone called insulin. If there is not enough insulin, or if the body stops responding to insulin, sugar builds up in the blood.

– You have high blood sugar if your blood sugar is greater than or equal to 100 mg/dL when tested after you have not had anything to eat or drink (except water) for 8 hours. This is known as a "fasting" blood sugar test.

•High triglycerides

– Triglycerides are fat-like substances in the blood. You have high triglycerides if your triglycerides are higher than 150 mg/dL•Low HDL cholesterol

– HDL is the "good cholesterol." That's because having high HDL levels lowers your risk of heart attacks and other health problems. You have a low HDL cholesterol if your HDL is less than 40 mg/dL if you're a man or less than 50 mg/dL if you're a woman.

Are there tests for metabolic syndrome? 

— Yes. As part of an exam, we will:

●Take your blood pressure

●Measure your height and weight to calculate your BMI

●Measure the widest part of your belly with a tape measure- this measurement is called your "waist circumference"

•The metabolic syndrome is diagnosed based upon a physical exam and a blood test of your blood sugar (either fasting [before breakfast] blood sugar or a test any time of A1C), cholesterol.

•HOW COMMON IS METABOLIC SYNDROME? 

— Metabolic syndrome is becoming increasingly common. In one study performed between 1999 and 2002, more than 34 percent of participants were classified as having metabolic syndrome. This number is significantly increased from a similar study performed between 1988 and 1994 when 22 percent of people had metabolic syndrome

The following factors are thought to increase the risk of developing metabolic syndrome:

 ●Being overweight (body mass index of 25 kg/m2 or more)

 ●Menopause (in women)

 ●Increasing age

 ●Smoking

 ●Eating a high-carbohydrate diet

 ●Lack of physical activity

 ●Family history of diabetes or metabolic syndrome

•Can metabolic syndrome be prevented?

You can lower your chances of getting metabolic syndrome by:

●Losing weight if you are overweight

●Eating lots of fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy products, but not a lot of meat or fatty foods

●Walking or doing some form of physical activity on most days of the week

●Quitting smoking, if you smoke