What Is Metabolic Syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that increase your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke. It can cause other health issues as well, such as atherosclerosis and organ damage. Other names for metabolic syndrome include insulin resistance syndrome, syndrome X, and dysmetabolic syndrome. Approximately 1 in 3 adults in the United States have it, so keep reading to learn more about what metabolic syndrome is and its effects on your health.

What Is Metabolic Syndrome?

Contrary to popular belief, metabolic syndrome is not itself a disease. Instead, it’s a group of five risk factors that can raise your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and other health problems. While having just one of these risk factors can be problematic, having all of them can double your risk of cardiovascular disease, which can cause heart attack and stroke, as well as increase your risk of type 2 diabetes by five times. The criteria for metabolic syndrome include:

• Excess abdominal weight- waist circumference of more than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men
• Low HDL cholesterol - HDL cholesterol levels of less than 50 mg/dL in women and 40 mg/dL in men
• Hypertriglyceridemia - triglyceride levels greater than 150 mg/dL
• High blood pressure - systolic blood pressure of 130 mmHg or higher and/or diastolic blood pressure of 85 mmHg or higher
• High blood sugar - fasting blood sugar of 100 mg/DL or higher

Symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome

Not all conditions of metabolic syndrome cause symptoms, so the symptoms you experience may vary based on which of the five conditions you have. High triglycerides, high blood pressure, and low HDL cholesterol do not usually cause symptoms. High blood sugar is the most symptomatic and can cause symptoms such as increased thirst, blurred vision, increased urination, darkened skin (acanthosis nigricans), and fatigue.

What Causes Metabolic Syndrome?

There’s no one specific cause of metabolic syndrome. Several factors may contribute to its development. Overweight or obesity and a sedentary lifestyle contribute to the risk factors for metabolic syndrome. There’s also a relationship between metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, so many healthcare professionals believe insulin resistance may be a primary cause of metabolic syndrome. However, a direct link between the two conditions has not yet been found. Others believe hormone changes resulting from chronic stress can contribute to abdominal obesity, high triglycerides and cholesterol, and insulin resistance.

Who Is at Risk?

There are a number of risk factors that can make you more likely to have metabolic syndrome These include:

• Age - The older you are, the more likely you are to have metabolic syndrome.
• Body mass index (BMI) - Having a BMI greater than 25 puts you at risk for metabolic syndrome.
• Ethnicity - African Americans and Mexican Americans are more likely to have metabolic syndrome. African American women are 60 percent more likely than African-American men.
• Personal or family history of diabetes
• History of heavy drinking
• Smoking
• Being postmenopausal
• Experiencing a lot of stress
• Eating a high-fat diet
• Inactivity

Prevention & Treatment

Committing to a healthy lifestyle can help prevent the conditions that cause metabolic syndrome and even reverse them. Healthy lifestyle changes include:

• Doing at least 30 minutes of physical exercise most days
• Eating heart-healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins
• Limiting your consumption of saturated fats, sugars, and salt
• Not smoking
• Losing weight if you are overweight or obese

There are also various medications and treatments that can help manage the conditions of metabolic syndrome. These may include blood pressure or cholesterol medications, oral diabetes medications, bariatric surgery, sleeping disorder treatments, or psychotherapy.

Comprehensive Metabolic Profile at Freedom Functional Medicine

Do you think you may be at risk of metabolic syndrome? Here at Freedom Functional Medicine, we offer a Comprehensive Metabolic Profile to help you determine your metabolic risk by looking at genetic and health markers. To learn more and get started, schedule a consultation with our health experts today!