If you are over 40 and constantly dealing with high blood pressure, energy dips, sudden weight gain, and high cholesterol, this is for you. These frequent health issues can point to a deeper health condition called metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is not a single recognized disease. It is a pattern of metabolic stress that occurs without showing any visible signs. This condition can quietly increase the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and long-term metabolic health problems.
Millions of adults in the USA are affected by this condition, are this number is growing day by day. By following a healthy lifestyle, one can manage and stop the metabolic syndrome from causing further health complications.
What Is Actually Happening in Metabolic Syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is a group of interrelated metabolic issues that goes well beyond normal aging. In scientific terms, this condition is diagnosed when a person has three or more of the following conditions:
- Excess fat around the belly
- High blood pressure
- High fasting blood sugar
- High triglycerides
- Low good cholesterol
Each of these, in itself, may not seem to be directly related to the others, yet they are all linked to a problem with the body’s energy, insulin, fat, and inflammation functions.
The core cause behind metabolic syndrome is insulin resistance. When resistance happens, your cells stop responding to insulin normally, and your body compensates by releasing more insulin to manage blood sugar levels.
This process also has an effect on the metabolism of cholesterol. Your liver starts to produce more triglycerides, leading to high cholesterol.
At the same time, blood vessels lose their flexibility, contributing to high blood pressure.
These changes happen slowly in your body and take years to show any signs, which is ne of the main reasons why this is not the first choice to get diagnosed in your routine check-up.
Common Metabolic Syndrome Symptoms
Many patients might have thought that metabolic disorders are something very dramatic. But, in reality, metabolic syndrome, symptoms are very quiet and persistent:
- Excess fat around the waist.
- High Blood Pressure
- High fasting blood sugar
- Skin darkening around your neck or underarms
- Poor Mood
- Bloating
- Constipation
- Discomfort after eating high-carb meals
- Sugar cravings
Individuals with metabolic syndrome have apple-shaped bodies. It means they have a lot of weight around their belly area, which is an obvious sign of metabolic syndrome. The extra belly fat is strongly associated with insulin resistance, high triglycerides, and hypertension.
However, there are some discussions that individuals with Pear-shaped bodies are considered to be at lower risk of metabolic syndrome. It means such individuals have lower belly fat and some hip and thigh fat.
Who Is at Risk for Metabolic Syndrome?
These factors can greatly increase your risk for metabolic syndrome:
- Age: If you are over 40, your metabolic risk rises.
- Obesity: Being overweight and carrying extra belly fat can be a stronger predictor of metabolic syndrome than any BMI.
- Poor Lifestyle: You are at risk if you don’t do any physical activities or exercises, and eat lots of junk processed food.
- Family History: If there is a family history of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, or heart disease, you may be at a higher risk.
- Hormonal Changes: Low testosterone and menopause in women can also be a risk factor for metabolic syndrome.
- Race: Individuals belonging to certain races, like Hispanic/Latino, South Asian, and African American, are at a higher risk.
Metabolic Syndrome VS. Diabetes
Metabolic syndrome and diabetes are closely related conditions; however, they are not the same condition. It is a group of 2 or more conditions that increase the risk of developing serious health problems. This will eventually lead to diabetes, especially if the blood sugar levels remain high for a long time.
But diabetes develops when the body can no longer compensate for insulin resistance. Also, if you have diabetes, your chances of getting metabolic syndrome are higher. On the other hand, if your blood sugar is high but your cholesterol and other metabolic indicators are normal, then you may have diabetes without metabolic syndrome.
An individual with metabolic syndrome is also at risk of having heart attacks or any other form of cardiovascular events, even if they have not yet developed diabetes.
It is for this reason that if you have diabetes, have metabolic syndrome, or both, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible to take care of your heart health.
Metabolic Syndrome Testing & Diagnosis
Your healthcare provider will look for your symptoms and test results to diagnose metabolic syndrome accurately. The first criterion for metabolic syndrome is your waist measurement. In men, a waist more than 102cms, and in women, a waist more than 88cms is a red flag.
Other factors such as blood pressure, fasting glucose, and cholesterol are also taken into consideration. You may be ordered to do the following tests for a proper diagnosis:
- Lipid Panel: This test checks triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol
- Fasting glucose/HbA1c: This is done to check the level of blood sugar and long-term control of glucose.
- Insulin levels: This test reveals any early insulin resistance
- Inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) for inflammation
If you are looking for treatment for metabolic syndrome near you, it is important to find a provider who assesses all aspects of your metabolic health.
Conclusion
Metabolic syndrome gets easily misdiagnosed or overlooked because it doesn’t show any visible symptoms. Many people don’t realize there is anything wrong with them until complications arise, and it’s more difficult to manage.
The good news is, it is something that can be reversed, especially if it is caught early enough.
So if you suspect that you may have metabolic syndrome, or maybe you suspect that you may have prediabetes, don’t wait to make things worse. At Kairos, Lola, one of our board-certified integrative practitioners, provides personalized, noninvasive care to help you manage your condition naturally.
