Take a family member or friend with you if possible, to help you remember the information you're given. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.
This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Ferri FF. Maybe it started with cautionary warnings from your doctor about your blood sugar and your weight, but now he or she is officially concerned about prediabetes and obesity particularly the excess weight at your waistline , as well as your blood pressure, lipid or cholesterol levels.
The term "metabolic syndrome" is mentioned and you immediately wonder: What is metabolic syndrome? Karla Saint Andre, endocrinologist at Houston Methodist. Its prevalence is increasing worldwide, and about a third of the U. The risk is equal in men and women. Through lifestyle changes and medications, metabolic syndrome may be able to be reversed, reducing your risk of developing a more serious health condition.
Whether you have a family history of metabolic syndrome or you've just been diagnosed, here's everything you need to know to better understand this condition and five steps you can take to prevent or potentially reverse it. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by a state of cellular resistance to insulin, a hormone important for turning the sugar you eat into the energy needed to fuel your body. But if your cells become less responsive to insulin, sugar has a harder time making it inside your cells, leading to high levels of sugar in your bloodstream," explains Dr.
Saint Andre. This reduced responsiveness to insulin leads to chronic, systemic inflammation and can have other dramatic effects on your body, including:. Although intensified therapeutic lifestyle change will help the abnormal lipid profile, some patients may require drug therapy. This review also discusses the use of statins, fibrates, and niacin. Likewise, while hypertension in the metabolic syndrome benefits from therapeutic lifestyle change, physicians should also consider angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor drugs or angiotensin receptor blockers, due to their effects on preventing complications of diabetes, such as progression of diabetic nephropathy and due to their effects on regression of left ventricular hypertrophy.
Most people with metabolic syndrome are urged to lose weight in order to reach a healthier body mass index BMI. Your doctor can help you identify a plan and pace that makes the most sense for you. Adopting a healthier diet. What you really need is not a weight-loss diet but a new eating plan.
If finding or following a plan is hard for you, consider asking your doctor or a nutritionist to help you, or to recommend resources to get you started. Moving more. Even moderate amounts of activity will make a difference with heart markers. Walking is a good starter plan for many people. Quitting smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke. Ask your doctor about support programs that can help. Limiting alcohol. Drinking heavily can raise blood pressure and contribute extra empty calories.
Taking your prescribed medications. In addition to the medications used to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol or high blood sugar, those individuals at very high risk may be prescribed metformin or other medications to help manage diabetes, or low-dose aspirin to help reduce the risk of cardivascular disease.
Living With Consider a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome to be a wake-up call about the serious state of your heart health. Focus on your whole lifestyle. There are no quick fixes for metabolic syndrome. Know all the risks. In addition to heart disease, stroke and diabetes, you may also be monitored and, if needed, treated, for conditions that are known to accompany metabolic syndrome.
0コメント