You probably heard the name of this syndrome, metabolic syndrome, and the criteria to make someone predisposed to have a full blown diabetes.
At Pristine Wellness Center, we focus on prevention and treatment of all the issues that come with this diagnosis, as we personalize the treatment for each patient.
There are two definitions for Metabolic Syndrome:
National Cholesterol Education Program (ATP III) and International Diabetes Federation both have similar criteria, which is: the presence of any three of the following traits:
- Abdominal obesity is defined as a waist circumference ≥102 cm (40 in) in males and ≥88 cm (35 in) in females. A more defined measurement is based on ethnicity.
- Serum triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L) or drug treatment for elevated triglycerides
- Serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol <40 mg/dL (1 mmol/L) in males and <50 mg/dL (1.3 mmol/L) in females or drug treatment for low HDL cholesterol
- Blood pressure ≥130/85 mmHg or drug treatment for elevated blood pressure
- Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) or drug treatment for elevated blood glucose
Issues that are associated with metabolic syndrome:
Metabolic syndrome is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other side effects that are also associated with obesity, such as chronic kidney disease, fatty liver, Hepatocellular carcinoma, polycystic ovarian syndrome, sleep apnea, increased cognitive decline, and dementia.
Risk factors:
In addition to age, race, and weight, other factors associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome in NHANES included postmenopausal status, smoking, low household income, high carbohydrate diet, no alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity. In the Framingham Heart Study, soft drink and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption was also associated with an increased risk of developing adverse metabolic traits and metabolic syndrome
Importance of lifestyle modification
Aggressive lifestyle modification via weight reduction and increased physical activity is the cornerstone of management. These measures can reduce the risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular events, and type 2 diabetes.
For patients with metabolic syndrome, we suggest a Mediterranean or low-fat diet rather than other diets.
These diets have been associated with reductions in all-cause mortality in individuals with elevated cardiovascular risk.
Exercise programs that combine aerobic exercise and resistance training may be most beneficial for improving metabolic parameters.