Metabolic Syndrome: Cause, Diagnosis, Treatment
What Causes It?
The exact mechanisms of the complex pathways of metabolic syndrome are not yet completely known, however, important factors include:
- poor eating habits,
- sedentary lifestyle, and
- genetic predisposition to insulin resistance.
How Is It Diagnosed?
The American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommend that metabolic syndrome be identified as the presence of three or more of these components:
- elevated waist circumference (Men > 40 inches, Women > 35 inches),
- elevated triglycerides (> 150 mg/dL),
- lowered HDL (Men < 40 mg/dL, Women < 50 md/dL),
- elevated blood pressure (> 130/85), and
- elevated fasting glucose (>100 mg/dL).
How Is It Treated?
The first line treatment is to follow a healthier lifestyle, i.e., check your lipid levels, watch for signs of diabetes, monitor your blood pressure and exercise. Specifically,
- stop smoking
- reduce LDL, triclycerides,
- reduce blood pressure,
- reduce fasting glucose levels,
- increase insulin sensitivity, and
- raise HDL
by:
- losing weight (reduce BMI to < 25)
- exercising at least 30 minutes (at moderate intensity) for most days of the week
- eating less saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol.
Exercising improves these factors.
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