Not all people realize the seriousness of the metabolic syndrome and how it affects the body. It’s a condition that includes several health conditions and it leads to severe complications if not managed.

Metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a group of health conditions that a person has, and if it isn’t managed, it leads to an increased risk of having heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Criteria of metabolic syndrome

A person must have at least three of the following conditions to be considered to have metabolic syndrome:

• Excessive weight around the abdomen: the waist circumference is more than 101.6 cm in males and more than 8809 cm in females.
• High blood sugar: the fasting blood sugar is 100 mg/dL or more.
• High blood pressure: the systolic value is 130 mmHg or higher and the diastolic is 85 mmHg or higher.
• Hypertriglyceridemia: the level is 150 mg/dl or more.
• Low levels of HDL (the good cholesterol in the body): it’s less than 40 mg/dL in males and less than 50 mg/dL in females.

Causes of metabolic syndrome

• Metabolic syndrome occurs due to numerous factors, yet it’s thought that the main factor is the insulin resistance condition. Insulin resistance occurs when the muscles, liver, and fats don’t respond correctly to insulin, and then they don’t take up the glucose from the blood to restore it; therefore, this triggers the pancreas to make more insulin to manage the high blood sugar. With time, insulin resistance, if not managed, leads to type 2 diabetes in addition to other health conditions, such as obesity, PCOS, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular diseases.
• Some factors that increase the risk of insulin resistance are genetics, overweight and obesity, not exercising enough, and some medications like steroids.

Symptoms of metabolic syndrome

• Symptoms differ depending on the health conditions that the patient has from the metabolic syndrome criteria, and sometimes it doesn’t cause any symptoms.
• High blood sugar might cause certain symptoms, such as increased thirst, increased urination, darkened skin behind the neck and in the armpits, tiredness, and blurred vision.

Complications of metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome might lead to developing certain health conditions, such as:

• Cardiovascular disease.
• Stroke.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• Chronic inflammation in the body, which might make the immune system weaker.
• Damage in some organs, such as the pancreas, liver, kidney, and gallbladder.
• Pregnancy problems, such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.
• Erectile dysfunction.
• Some cancers, such as colon, breast, and prostate cancers.

Diagnosis of metabolic syndrome

• Physical examination.
• Blood sugar test.
• Triglycerides and cholesterol tests.
• Blood pressure test.

Treatment of metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is mainly treated by changing the lifestyle:

• Follow a healthy diet.
• Exercise regularly.
• Lose weight if needed.
• Sleep well.
• Manage stress.
• Avoid smoking and tobacco products.
• Avoid excessive alcohol consumption.

In some cases, certain medications might be used to manage the health conditions.

You can prevent metabolic syndrome or reduce the risk of having it by following a healthy lifestyle.