Metabolic Syndrome : Know The Risk Factors, Causes And Treatment

Your risk of developing heart disease, a stroke, and type 2 diabetes is increased if you have metabolic syndrome, a collection of illnesses. Issues with high blood pressure, high blood sugar, extra body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels are among these problems.

Having only one of these problems does not guarantee you have metabolic syndrome. But, it does indicate a higher risk of developing a serious illness. In addition, as these ailments progress, so does your risk of consequences including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Aggressive lifestyle adjustments can delay or even prevent the onset of major health problems if you have metabolic syndrome or any of its components.

The medical term for a condition in which a person has diabetes, hypertension, and obesity is metabolic syndrome. You run a higher chance of developing blood vessel diseases like coronary heart disease, stroke, and other illnesses.

Obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure can all harm your blood vessels on their own, but having all three together is especially risky.

Causes

Inactivity, obesity, and being overweight are all closely associated to metabolic syndrome.

Moreover, it has a connection to insulin resistance. Typically, the things you eat are converted to sugar by your digestive system. The pancreas produces the hormone insulin, which facilitates the entry of sugar into your cells for utilisation as fuel.

In patients with insulin resistance, cells do not respond normally to insulin and glucose can not enter the cells as easily. Due to this, even when your body produces more and more insulin in an effort to lower your blood sugar, your blood sugar levels climb.

How to check if you have Metabolic Syndrome?

Ask your doctor if you need to be tested for other metabolic syndrome components if you already know you have at least one component of the condition.

Risk Factors

The likelihood that you have metabolic syndrome is increased by the following factors:

Age. With age, your risk of developing metabolic syndrome rises.

Obesity. The chance of developing metabolic syndrome increases if you carry too much weight, particularly in your abdomen.

Diabetes. If you have gestational diabetes or have a family history of type 2 diabetes, you run a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome.

Various illnesses. If you have ever had polycystic ovarian syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or sleep apnea, your risk of developing metabolic syndrome is increased.

Symptoms

Most disorders associated with metabolic syndrome do not have overt symptoms or indicators. One obvious sign is a large waist circumference. However, if your blood sugar is high, you can experience some of the telltale signs and symptoms of diabetes, including increased thirst and urination, exhaustion, and impaired vision.

If you have three or more of the following, your metabolic syndrome may be diagnosed:

• Being extremely overweight or having much belly fat
• High triglyceride levels (blood fat) and low HDL (the "good" cholesterol) levels are risk factors for atherosclerosis (where arteries become clogged with fatty substances such as cholesterol)
• A persistent blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg or above
• Difficulty managing blood sugar levels; (insulin resistance)

Prevention

A lifelong commitment to a healthy lifestyle may help you avoid the illnesses that cause metabolic syndrome. A healthy lifestyle includes:

• Getting at least 30 minutes of exercise on a daily basis
• Consuming a lot of fruits, veggies, lean protein, and entire grains
• Lowering your salt and saturated fat consumption
• Being healthy in terms of weight
• Not a smoker

By modifying your lifestyle, you can prevent or treat metabolic syndrome, including:

• Putting on weight consistently
• Exercising
• Eating a good, balanced diet to maintain healthy blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels
• Quitting smoking
• Reducing alcohol consumption

Treatments

If significant lifestyle modifications like diet and exercise are insufficient to control your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, your doctor may recommend medications.

Making healthy lifestyle adjustments can help prevent or delay significant health issues, such as a heart attack or stroke if you have been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome or any of its symptoms. A healthy way of life consists of:

Exercise on a regular basis. Exercise for at least 30 minutes each day, such as brisk walking, is advised by health professionals. You do not have to complete that task all at once, though. Whenever you get one, try to find methods to be more active, like walking instead of driving or using the stairs instead of the lift.

Loss of weight. By losing 7% of your body weight, you can lower your blood pressure, reduce insulin resistance, and lower your risk of developing diabetes. In fact, losing any amount of weight is advantageous. Furthermore crucial is maintaining your weight

Vegetables, fruits, high-fibre whole grains, and lean protein are encouraged in diets such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the Mediterranean diet. Limiting sugar-sweetened beverages, alcohol, salt, sugar, and fat, especially saturated and trans fat, is typically advised in healthy eating programmes.

Giving up smoking. Your entire health will significantly improve if you stop smoking. If you need assistance quitting, speak to your doctor.

Lowering or controlling stress. You can manage stress and enhance your emotional and physical health by engaging in physical activity, meditation, yoga, and other practices.

Complications of Metabolic Syndrome

Your risk of developing the following can rise if you have metabolic syndrome.

Diabetes type 2. If you do not alter your way of living to lose weight, you could become insulin resistant, which would raise your blood sugar levels. Type 2 diabetes can eventually be brought on by insulin resistance.

Blood vessels and heart disease. Plaques in your arteries can develop due to excessive blood pressure and high cholesterol. Your arteries may get harder and narrower as a result of these plaques, which may cause a heart attack or stroke.

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