Metabolic Syndrome or insulin resistance syndrome is a cluster of health problems that increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes in an individual. This group of conditions related to your metabolism increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. Here’s a brief description of this syndrome.

What are the symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome?

Metabolic Syndrome is characterized by excessive fat around the waist, increase in blood pressure, high levels of triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, and high blood sugar. Having just one of these conditions is usually not diagnosed as metabolic syndrome. However, it does increase your risk to cardiovascular diseases.

What are the causes of Metabolic Syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome is a disorder in the metabolism process, possibly linked to insulin resistance. In this condition, the body is unable to make efficient use of insulin. This is the reason why it is also referred to as insulin resistance syndrome. Here is what happens in insulin resistance.

The pancreas produces a hormone called insulin which controls the amount of blood sugar in the bloodstream. The digestive system breaks down some of the foods into glucose and the bloodstream carries it to the body tissues. Glucose enters the cells in the tissues with the help of insulin, where the process of metabolism turns it into energy. However, in people with insulin resistance, the cells respond abnormally to the insulin and this prevents glucose from entering into the cells. This increases the production of insulin as the body tries to help glucose enter into the cells. The result is an increased level of both insulin and glucose in the blood. An increased insulin level leads to elevated triglyceride levels, problems in your kidney functioning, and high blood pressure.

How is metabolic syndrome diagnosed?

Although there are no well-accepted criteria for the diagnosis of this group of health conditions which affects your metabolism, three or more of the following characteristics is usually used for diagnosis:

• A waist circumference of more than 35 inches in women and 40 inches in men,
• 150 milligrams per deciliter or higher of triglycerides or receiving treatment for this condition,
• Less than 40 mg/dL in men or less than 50 mg/dL in women of HDL or receiving treatment for this condition,
• 130 mm Hg or higher systolic or 85 mm Hg higher diastolic blood pressure or receiving treatment for this condition, and
• 100 mg/dL or higher of fasting blood sugar level or receiving treatment for this condition.

How is metabolic syndrome treated?

Lifestyle changes are the key factors involved in the treatment of this metabolism disorder. Losing about 5-10% of the total body weight, 30-60 minutes of moderate intensity exercising, limiting unhealthy fats and including more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your diet, and quitting smoking are some of the changes that your physician might recommend. You physician might also recommend certain medications to lower your blood pressure, control your cholesterol, help you lose weight, or help your body use insulin more efficiently.

Aggressive lifestyle changes are the key not just in treating metabolic syndrome, but also in preventing it. If you have any of the components of the metabolic syndrome, eating healthy, exercising regularly, and losing weight will help delay or prevent any of the serious cardiovascular diseases that occur as a result of metabolic syndrome.