If you’ve never heard of Metabolic Syndrome, you’re not alone.  Despite the fact that nearly 50 million Americans have the disorder, most people know nothing about it.  Metabolic Syndrome is a collection of health risks that increase your chance of developing heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. The condition is also known by other names including Syndrome X, insulin resistance syndrome, and dysmetabolic syndrome. The number of people with Metabolic Syndrome increases with age, affecting almost 50 percent of people in their 60s and 70s. The underlying causes of this syndrome are hereditary risk factors, physical inactivity, and overweight.

The most commonly used definition of the metabolic syndrome is the presence of three or more of these components:

• Central obesity as measured by waist circumference:
  Men — Greater than or equal to 40 inches
  Women — Greater than or equal to 35 inches
• Fasting blood triglycerides greater than or equal to 150 mg/dL
• Blood HDL cholesterol:
  Men — Less than 40 mg/dL
  Women — Less than 50 mg/dL
• Blood pressure greater than or equal to 130/85 mmHg
• Fasting glucose greater than or equal to 100 mg/dL

Treatment and prevention:

• Lose weight (even just 5-10% of your body weight)
• Exercise regularly (a 30 minute brisk walk or 10,000 steps per day)
• Eat a healthy diet rich in fiber (whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables; light on refined carbohydrates and red meat)
• Quit smoking and reduce alcohol intake
• Your doctor may also prescribe medications to help.

Knowing your Metabolic Syndrome risk will give you “advance notice” and the opportunity to make health and lifestyle changes today that can delay or prevent the development of serious diseases.

Metabolic Syndrome….not just for adults:

• Present in at least 9.2% of children and adolescents.
• Nearly 2/3rds of ALL adolescents have at least one of the described abnormalities.
• At least 1/3rd of overweight or obese children have the metabolic syndrome.

Favorite Metabolic Syndrome Websites