Metabolic syndrome is a collection of disorders that are related to problems with the body’s metabolism and pose serious risk to health. Untreated, they may progress to other dangerous symptoms like cardiac disease or uncontrollable diabetes. They are thus very important to diagnose, so that people can get proper medical treatment and participate in the behavioral changes that may help alleviate the disease and reduce risk.
In order for a condition to be considered metabolic syndrome, people must have at least three metabolic syndrome symptoms together. A single condition doesn’t suggest the syndrome, though having even one of the below conditions can create risk for having the others and developing the syndrome. True diagnosis only occurs if at least three of the following conditions are evident through medical testing:
Insulin resistance— In the healthy body, insulin helps lower blood sugar levels. If a person becomes insulin resistant, higher blood sugar results, and other symptoms like fatigue, sleepiness, and depression may be present. Stomach upset may occur, people can have difficulty shedding weight, and there is often an associate higher triglyceride level and higher blood pressure.
Overweight with an apple shape— When most body fat accumulates around the stomach, this may be considered an apple shape. Alone, this isn’t necessarily an indication of metabolic syndrome, but it’s certainly been noted that fat accumulation around the waist is more likely to indicate risk for heart disease.
High triglycerides and low amounts of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol— It’s easy to see the relationship between the different disorders. Insulin resistance may elevate triglycerides. The addition of low levels of good cholesterol makes it difficult to lower total cholesterol levels.
Hypertension— This means higher than normal blood pressure. Taken with the other metabolic syndrome symptoms, it can pose dangerous risk for stroke, especially when high cholesterol levels are reducing artery width through plaque build-up.
There may be a few other metabolic syndrome symptoms. The disease sometimes occurs in conjunction with illnesses like polycystic ovarian disease, and some people have darkening of skin color at the skin folds, which is also a symptom of insulin resistance. Some people develop fatty liver and have a high accumulation of triglycerides in the liver. It’s worth noting this disease can make people feel without energy, tired, frustrated because they have a hard time losing weight, or out of breath. As this condition progresses, symptoms of advanced cardiac disease may present, too.
People only need three of the metabolic syndrome symptoms in order to be diagnosed, and diagnosis is usually made through physical examination and blood testing. When this condition is thought present, it is also thought extremely serious, and doctors use medications, while strongly advocating strict lifestyle changes to reverse damage and reduce the high risk of cardiac events. People would likely have changes to diet and exercise in addition to taking medicines that can help lower things like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar.
