Published on Apr 04, 2019 and last reviewed on Dec 28, 2021 - 3 min read
Abstract
Metabolic syndrome is a set of risk factors that occur together, which increases the likelihood of an individual getting heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
Metabolic syndrome is a set of risk factors that occur together, which increases the likelihood of an individual getting heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. These risk factors include:
The presence of any one of these risk factors does not mean the person has metabolic syndrome, but it does increase the risk of some severe illness. The other names used for metabolic syndrome are Insulin resistance syndrome, American syndrome, and Syndrome X. It is a prevalent disease, and more than 23 % of adults in the US have metabolic syndrome.
When these risk factors occur together, they can cause problems in blood vessels of the heart and can lead to heart attacks and strokes. They also increase the chances of diabetes. But, this syndrome can be controlled by drastic lifestyle changes.
The conditions that can cause metabolic syndrome are:
To diagnose metabolic syndrome, your doctor might check the circumference of your waist, and he or she may tell you to perform the following tests:
Blood pressure.
Cholesterol levels.
Fasting triglyceride levels.
If your test shows abnormal levels in three of the above tests, it indicates metabolic syndrome.
The treatment options are:
1)Regular Exercise - Get at least 30 minutes of exercise like jogging, brisk walking, or running every day. Apart from exercise, keep yourself as active as possible, for example, take the steps instead of the lift or walk to the market instead of driving.
2)Weight loss - If you have insulin resistance, losing up to 10 % of your body weight can reduce the risk of diabetes and hypertension. If you are not able to lose weight even after trying everything, consider weight loss medications or surgery.
3)Eat Healthily - Include more vegetables, fruits, protein, and high-fiber food in your diet, and avoid sweet beverages, alcohol, salt, and trans or saturated fat containing food.
4)Quit Smoking - Quitting smoking reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
5)Medication - If lifestyle changes are not sufficient, your doctor might give you antihypertensives, statins, and antidiabetic medicines to reduce your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.
The risk factors as defined by the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute are:
You should have at least three of these risk factors to be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome can cause chronic complications like:
Follow these tips to prevent metabolic syndrome:
It is crucial to diagnose this condition early to prevent chronic health complications. If you have already been diagnosed with this condition, then go for regular checkups so that your doctor can monitor and prevent problems like heart attack and stroke.
It is possible to make the symptoms of metabolic syndrome subside. Generally, metabolic syndrome involves various risk factors. It increases the chance of stroke, diabetes, and heart disease. The ways to reverse it is by losing weight, doing exercises, and making dietary changes.
The causes of metabolic syndrome are obesity and inactivity. It is associated with a physical health condition called insulin resistance. It is also caused by hereditary factors, sedentary lifestyle, and sleep disorders such as sleep apnea.
Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed by the following components:
- Central or abdominal obesity. It is measured by noting down the circumference of the waist.
- Increase in high-density lipids.
- Triglycerides more than the level of 150 milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL).
The foods that are to be avoided are foods that are rich in fats, highly refined foods, processed foods like white bread, sugars, and cereals. All these foods are known to be associated with metabolic syndrome.
A ketogenic diet has shown significant improvement in adults with metabolic syndrome. Ketogenic diets are high in fat, very low carbohydrates, and very effective in lowering insulin levels, which in turn induce the body to break down body fat into ketones.
The most appropriate method for preventing metabolic syndrome is by reducing your weight with routine exercises. Follow a proper diet plan, such as the Pritikin Eating Plan. It focuses on foods that are low in calorie density and high in fiber and nutrients naturally. Fiber and nutrients include whole-grain foods like corn, hot cereals, brown rice, and whole-wheat pasta, fruits, vegetables, starchy foods like yams, potatoes, beans, peas, and lentils. It also includes seafood, poultry, and meat.
Drinking warm lemon water in the morning on a daily basis will boost metabolism. Lemon water will keep the body hydrated all the time and also enhances the metabolism. It helps your body to remove waste products. It also aids in proper digestion.
These are the ways to kick-start your metabolism:
- Eating food with plenty of protein can increase your metabolism for certain hours.
- Do a high-intensity workout.
- Drink more cold water.
- Stand up more.
- Lift heavy things.
- Eat spicy foods.
- Drink green tea.
- Drink coffee.
- Get good sleep.
- Replace cooking fats with coconut oil.
Four methods are known to heal the metabolic damage. They are:
- High-quality sleep for at least 8 hours per night is necessary.
- Take probiotic supplements or eat probiotic-rich foods.
- Meditate daily to be stress-free.
- Do metabolism-boosting workouts regularly.
Intermittent or periodic fasting can help to resolve the symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Necessary lifestyle and weight changes should be made to overcome metabolic syndrome. Many studies have shown that eating within a particular time period and maintaining a properly balanced diet can be a remedy for metabolic syndrome.
Last reviewed at:
28 Dec 2021 - 3 min read
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