| It's estimated that one in three Americans | | | | |
| suffers from a condition that Steven Nissen, | | | | According to the Mayo Clinic, one study found |
| M.D., a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic | | | | that men with three factors of metabolic |
| Foundation, has dubbed the "disease of the | | | | syndrome had close to twice the risk of |
| new millennium." | | | | having a heart attack and three times the |
| | | | risk of developing heart disease as those |
| Metabolic syndrome, as it's more commonly | | | | with no factors. |
| known, is actually a name used to describe a | | | | |
| group of symptoms, or "metabolic risk | | | | Factors That Increase Your Risk |
| factors." These symptoms increase the risk of | | | | |
| a number of diseases, including: | | | | There are several factors that raise the risk |
| | | | of metabolic syndrome. |
| Coronary heart disease | | | | |
| | | | Age: Forty percent of people in their 60s |
| Stroke | | | | have metabolic syndrome, compared to under 10 |
| | | | percent in their 20s. However, while the risk |
| Type 2 diabetes | | | | of metabolic syndrome does increase with age, |
| | | | younger people can be affected. One study |
| Breast cancer | | | | found, according to the Mayo Clinic, that one |
| | | | in eight schoolchildren already have three or |
| Infertility | | | | more components of the disease. |
| | | | |
| In all, it's thought that over 50 million | | | | Race: Hispanics and Asians have a greater |
| Americans have it, but the syndrome (also | | | | risk than other races. |
| known as syndrome X and insulin resistance | | | | |
| syndrome) often goes undetected. | | | | Obesity: Having a body mass index (BMI) over |
| | | | 25 increases the risk, as does abdominal fat |
| Symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome | | | | (an "apple" body shape). |
| | | | |
| Having any one of the following conditions | | | | History of diabetes: A family history of type |
| increases your health risks; the more | | | | 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes (diabetes |
| conditions you have, the greater your risk. | | | | during pregnancy) increases the risk. |
| The National Institutes of Health says that | | | | |
| metabolic syndrome begins with three or more | | | | Other diseases: Diseases including high blood |
| of the following symptoms: | | | | pressure, heart disease or polycystic ovary |
| | | | syndrome increase the risk. |
| A waist circumference greater than 35 inches | | | | |
| in women and 40 inches in men | | | | What to do if You Have Metabolic Syndrome |
| | | | |
| An HDL (good) cholesterol level lower than 50 | | | | Experts recommend aggressive lifestyle |
| in women and 40 in men | | | | changes when it comes to metabolic syndrome. |
| | | | The three key changes are: |
| Blood pressure of 130 over 80 or greater | | | | |
| | | | Exercising for 30-60 minutes a day, at a |
| Fasting blood sugar between 110 and 126 | | | | moderate intensity level. |
| | | | |
| - Triglycerides (a form of fat in the | | | | Losing weight. Even losing just 5 percent to |
| bloodstream) over 150 | | | | 10 percent of your body weight reduces |
| | | | insulin levels, blood pressure and your risk |
| "Each of the five elements that make up | | | | of diabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic. |
| metabolic syndrome increases your risk of | | | | |
| heart disease and stroke," says Daniel | | | | - Quitting smoking, if you do. Smoking |
| Einhorn, M.D., medical director of the | | | | increases insulin resistance and worsens |
| Scripps Whittier Institute for Diabetes in La | | | | metabolic syndrome. |
| Jolla, California. "But the combination of | | | | |
| the five makes your risks especially high." | | | | How to Prevent Metabolic Syndrome |
| | | | |
| Underlying Cause of Metabolic Syndrome | | | | The keys to preventing metabolic syndrome are |
| | | | the same as those for preventing many other |
| It's thought that insulin resistance is | | | | types of disease: |
| what's behind metabolic syndrome. The food | | | | |
| you eat normally gets broken down into sugar | | | | - Eat a healthy diet, which focuses on |
| (glucose), which enters your cells for fuel. | | | | fruits and vegetables and lean meats. |
| Insulin is made by your pancreas to help the | | | | Fiber-rich foods can also help reduce insulin |
| glucose enter cells. | | | | levels. |
| | | | |
| However, if you are insulin resistant, your | | | | In fact, one Harvard Medical School study |
| cells don't respond to the insulin, and, as a | | | | found that people with high-fiber diets had a |
| result, your body keeps making more and more | | | | much lower risk of developing metabolic |
| of it. The end result is an increased level | | | | syndrome. |
| of both insulin and glucose in the blood. | | | | |
| Although in metabolic syndrome the levels may | | | | Eating healthy also means avoiding processed |
| not be high enough to qualify as diabetes, | | | | foods, fried foods and excess sweets, and |
| they still interfere with your body's normal | | | | experimenting with healthy herbs and spices. |
| functions by: | | | | |
| | | | Exercise, about 30-60 minutes, most days of |
| Raising your levels of triglycerides and | | | | the week. |
| other blood fats | | | | |
| | | | Monitor your health. Check your blood sugar, |
| Increasing your blood pressure | | | | blood pressure and cholesterol levels on a |
| | | | regular basis. If they are no longer in the |
| - Increasing your risk of heart disease, | | | | healthy ranges, make additional positive |
| stroke, diabetes and more | | | | changes to your diet and activity level. |