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Traveling the Road to Wellness
Metabolic Syndrome Affects 1 in 5 Americans: Understand the Warning Signs
August 2009
Like many adversaries, Metabolic Syndrome goes by many names: Metabolic Syndrome, Metabolic Syndrome X, Syndrome X and Insulin Resistance Syndrome. If the ominous names aren't enough to make you take pause, consider the wide-spread prevalence of this nemesis to good health–as many as one in five people suffer from metabolic syndrome, an estimated 50 million Americans.
But what exactly is metabolic syndrome? It is not a disease, per se, nor an illness or symptom. It is characterized by a group of symptoms that when combined produce a greater, more dangerous predisposition to cardiovascular disease, Type II diabetes and other significant health concerns. Considering how prevalent metabolic syndrome has become in the U.S., you need to understand this dangerous set of conditions and what warning signs to look for in order to protect your good health.
The following was taken from http://www.mayoclinic.com:
Having metabolic syndrome means you have several disorders related to your metabolism at the same time, including:
- Obesity, particularly around your waist (having an "apple shape")
- Elevated blood pressure
- An elevated level of the blood fat called triglycerides and a low level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol—the "good" cholesterol
- Resistance to insulin, a hormone that helps to regulate the amount of sugar in your body
Having one component of metabolic syndrome means you're more likely to have others. And the more components you have, the greater are the risks to your health.
Despite the growing population of people who fit into the category of having metabolic syndrome, not all doctors, scientist and medical experts agree yet on its definition or whether it even exists as a distinct medical condition. This is the reason for the many names given to metabolic syndrome and why many are not fully aware of its danger.
As research continues to dig into the complex linkage of conditions that make up metabolic syndrome, one significant risk factor appears to be insulin resistance. Insulin is an important hormone in your body. Its job is to control the amount of sugar (a.k.a. glucose) flowing through your bloodstream to cells. When your body develops insulin resistance, it means you're not efficiently providing cells with the fuel they need to operate properly. As a result, your body puts out more insulin, which only leads to high levels of both insulin and glucose in the bloodstream.
While an elevated glucose level may not alone be enough to qualify as diabetes, the impact to healthy body processes is similar. As for an increased insulin level, it can raise your triglyceride level and other blood fat levels, as well as lead to higher blood pressure. These combined effects of insulin resistance put you at risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other conditions.
Along with the risk factors noted above, leading a sedentary lifestyle can also increase your predisposition for metabolic syndrome. Many components of metabolic syndrome are associated with a lifestyle of inactivity, including increased body fat (especially around the midsection), reduced HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) and a trend toward increased triglyceride levels and blood pressure. Compared with individuals who watched television or videos or used their computer less than one hour a day, those who sat in front of their computers or TVs for more than four hours a day show a twofold increased risk of metabolic syndrome. source: www.wikipedia.com.
Logic tells you that if you sit around all day, eat a poor diet and don't exercise, you're setting yourself up for a host of medical concerns. Metabolic syndrome is the name given to the collection of risk factors that, when combined, appear to be a significant predictor of serious health problems like cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes. Whatever you wish to call it, it is important to understand how these individual risk factors magnify the greater risk of life-threatening disease.
