Tired? Can't lose unwanted weight? Unhappy digestion? Maybe you're not just middle-aged and worn out. Maybe you have metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome, as its name suggests, affects your body's metabolism. Untreated metabolic syndrome can lead to type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disorders such as heart disease and stroke.
According to an article on Wisegeek.com, three out of four markers can indicate that you've got metabolic syndrome. These four possible markers are insulin resistance, an apple shape, high triglycerides with low HDL cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
When insulin resistance occurs, your body's ability to reduce blood glucose levels properly is impaired. Blood glucose levels become too high.
Depression and fatigue may accompany insulin resistance. Digestive issues and troublesome weight gain are also likely to develop. Blood pressure and triglyceride levels are also liable to increase.
If you have body fat accumulating around your middle instead of your hips and thighs, you've got an apple shape rather than an pear-shaped physique. Excess fat in this area can be an indication of greater risk for heart disease, as well as greater risk for metabolic syndrome.
Insulin resistance can lead to higher triglycerides and lower HDL cholesterol. High blood pressure combined with two more of these symptoms can cause a higher risk for stroke.
Do you have three of these four conditions? These may be your metabolic syndrome triad.
Metabolic syndrome is nothing if not versatile. It can be associated with a number of other disorders like polycystic ovarian disease, fatty liver with high triglycerides in the liver, and advanced cardiac disease. A symptom of insulin resistance, skin color darkened at skin folds, should also be mentioned here.
About.com reported that insulin resistance is the primary pivotal symptom of metabolic syndrome, which ultimately can open you up to later development of type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease and stroke. If you have three out of five particular conditions, you have metabolic syndrome.
The five conditions on the About.com list are obesity, high blood pressure, elevated fasting blood glucose, high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol.
Metabolic syndrome as previously mentioned, will make you more vulnerable to type 2 diabetes. Both of these disorders can put you at higher risk for atherosclerosis, otherwise known as hardening of the arteries, and that in turn can raise your risk for stroke and heart disease.
These consequences are serious and potentially quite severe. Fortunately, metabolic syndrome is not an incurable condition.
It can be reversed if you eat a healthier diet, lose the excess weight, and live a more active lifestyle, and if you watch your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Awareness is the first step in the direction of better health.
Sources:
What Are Metabolic Syndrome Symptoms? Wisegeek.com. Retrieved Jan. 22, 2012.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-metabolic-syndrome-symptoms.htm
Metabolic Syndrome - Risk Factors for Diabetes and Heart Disease. Updated Nov. 4, 2008. About.com. Retrieved Jan. 22, 2012.
http://diabetes.about.com/od/metabolicsyndrome/a/metabsyndrome.htm
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Reviewed January 23, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN