According to American Heart Association, around 25% of Americans suffer from Metabolic Syndrome. It is a group of medical disorders linked to obesity. These disorders increase the risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. It is commonly called as metabolic syndrome X.
Causes of Metabolic Syndrome
Major causes of metabolic syndrome are
- Overweight
- Obesity
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Insulin resistance
Other factors that increase the risk of getting metabolic syndrome include
- Aging– The risk increases as you age.
- Genetics also plays an important role in increasing the risk.
Usually, individuals cannot control the above mentioned factors, as they are natural.
Metabolic Syndrome Symptoms
All the symptoms of metabolic syndrome link to some other disease or health problem. The most common symptoms are
- Larger waistline – caused by excessive fats in the abdominal area, also called as abdominal obesity or an apple shape. This has an underlying risk of getting heart disease.
- Higher triglyceride level – type of fats that are found in the bloodstream
- Hypertension – also known as high blood pressure. It is the force with which the blood pushes against the walls of the arteries. If the pressure raises and stays for some time, it can develop plaque and over time it may damage the heart.
- Lower HDL (high density lipoprotein) level – this will raise the risk of heart diseases. Because HDL helps in removing cholesterol from the arteries
- Higher Blood Sugar Level – it is an early sign for getting diabetes
Metabolic Syndrome Treatment
Medical treatments and surgical procedures are left as the last alternative for treating metabolic syndrome.
Most of the doctors and experts start with lifestyle changes as the first step of treatment
- Changing diet habits by adding more low calorie but nutritious food and fat free food.
- Adding an exercise routine to your daily life and never skipping it
- Lifestyle changes by adding some work to keep your body and mind active through out the day
- Stop smoking and drinking alcohol, as they are one of the main culprits for poor health.
