Although some people are genetically predisposed to metabolic syndrome, others develop it as a result of their lifestyle or other circumstances that result in the five risk factors of high blood glucose (sugar), low HDL (“good”) cholesterol in the blood, high triglyceride levels in the blood, a large waist circumference or “apple-shaped” body, and high blood pressure.
Who is susceptible to metabolic syndrome?
In the United States, metabolic syndrome is becoming more widespread. Metabolic syndrome affects around 34% of persons in the United States, and it’s also on the rise throughout the world.
Several factors contribute to the development of metabolic syndrome:
Obesity/overweight: Obesity is a key contributor to metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is strongly linked to excess fat in and around the abdomen (stomach). However, the reasons for the apparent relationship between abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome are complex and not fully understood.
Insulin resistance: Metabolic syndrome is intimately linked to insulin resistance, a widespread metabolic condition. This occurs when the body is unable to utilise insulin effectively. Insulin resistance is a genetic predisposition in some people.
Although Black males are less likely to have metabolic syndrome than white men, Black women have a greater prevalence than white women.
Age: As you get older, your chances of developing metabolic syndrome increase.
Many of the factors contributing to metabolic syndrome can be addressed via dietary, exercise, and weight loss adjustments. You can considerably lower your risks by implementing these modifications.
Metabolic Syndrome Symptoms and Diagnosis
What do the signs and symptoms of metabolic syndrome look like?
The majority of the disorders that make up metabolic syndrome are asymptomatic. On the other hand, a large waistline is an obvious symptom of being overweight or obese.
A health care practitioner can diagnose metabolic syndrome, a collection of illnesses. If you have a large waist circumference and other symptoms of metabolic syndromes, such as raised triglycerides, high blood sugar, or high blood pressure, talk to your doctor about your risk of developing metabolic syndrome.
How can you know if you have metabolic syndrome?
When three or more of the following conditions are present, metabolic syndrome is diagnosed:
- Obesity in the central or abdominal regions (measured by waist circumference)
- Men with a height of more than 40 inches
- Women with a waist circumference of more than 35 inches
- High triglycerides — 150 milligrammes per deciliter (mg/dL) or above, or you’re on a triglyceride-lowering medication.
- You have a low HDL cholesterol level or are taking medication to lower your HDL cholesterol level.
- Less than 40 mg/dL in men
- Less than 50 mg/dL in women
- High blood pressure — 130/85 millimetres of mercury (mm Hg) or higher, or you’re on blood pressure medication.
- You have a high fasting glucose (blood sugar) level of 100 mg/dL or greater or use a blood glucose medication.
- To determine your risk of Metabolic Syndrome, you should get your fasting insulin level tested.
Numbers like blood glucose and A1C levels are frequently tested in laboratory data. Doctors rarely order a fasting insulin level test, even though this test might help predict your risk of developing prediabetes and metabolic syndrome. Insulin regulates metabolism, and high amounts of the hormone can lead to obesity, increased hunger, and fat storage.
“When you eat sugary foods, your blood sugar levels rise, and your pancreas releases insulin to transfer the sugar from your blood into your cells, where it can be utilised or stored,” explains Chere Bork, RDN, a nutritionist and life coach in Minneapolis–St. Paul. However, if your body is repeatedly exposed to high insulin doses, “the receptor cells become ineffective and resistant to the effects of insulin,” according to Bork, resulting in raised blood glucose levels. Insulin resistance causes metabolic syndrome, also known as insulin resistance syndrome, to have high cholesterol, high glucose, and high blood pressure.