Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that together raise your risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and other serious health problems. Metabolic syndrome is also called insulin resistance syndrome.
You may have metabolic syndrome if you have three or more of the following conditions.
A large waistline: This is also called abdominal obesity or “having an apple shape.” Extra fat in your stomach area is a bigger risk factor for heart disease than extra fat in other parts of your body.
High blood pressure: If your blood pressure rises and stays high for a long time, it can damage your heart and blood vessels.
High blood pressure can also cause plaque, a waxy substance, to build up in your arteries. Plaque can cause heart and blood vessel diseases such as heart attack or stroke.
High blood sugar levels: This can damage your blood vessels and raise your risk of getting blood clot. Blood clots can cause heart and blood vessel diseases.
Low HDL cholesterol, sometimes called good cholesterol: Blood cholesterol levels are important for heart health.
“Good” HDL cholesterol can help remove “bad” LDL cholesterol from your blood vessels. “Bad” LDL cholesterol can cause plaque buildup in your blood vessels.
The main goals of treating metabolic syndrome are to lower your risk of heart disease and to prevent type 2 diabetes if it hasn’t already developed.
If you already have type 2 diabetes, treatment can lower your risk of heart disease by controlling all your risk factors.
Heart-healthy lifestyle changes are the first line of treatment for metabolic syndrome. You may have to see a dietitian and a physical therapist to help find a diet and exercise plan that works for you.
If healthy lifestyle changes do not work, you may need medicines or weight loss surgery.
You may also need treatment for other health conditions that caused your metabolic syndrome or can make it worse.
Healthy lifestyle changes
The following heart-healthy lifestyle changes can help you control your risk factors and prevent complications:
Aim for a healthy weight.
Choose heart-healthy foods.
Get regular physical activity.
Manage stress.
Quit smoking.
Get enough good-quality sleep.
Medicines
If healthy lifestyle changes alone do not work for you, you may need certain types of medicines. These medicines are often used together with healthy lifestyle changes.
Medicines to lower your blood pressure: These include ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, diuretics, and beta blockers.
Some diuretics and beta blockers can raise the risk of type 2 diabetes in people who have metabolic syndrome. Learn more about treating high blood pressure.
Medicines to control blood triglyceride and “good” HDL cholesterol levels: Medicines such as statins and niacin can help lower triglyceride and “bad” LDL cholesterol levels. They can also help raise your levels of “good” HDL cholesterol. Y
ou may need to take more than one of these medicines. These medicines can cause digestive problems. Some statins can raise the risk of type 2 diabetes in people who have metabolic syndrome.
Omega fatty acids, which are commonly found in fish oils, also can help lower blood triglycerides. Learn more about controlling your blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Medicines to lower blood sugar levels: Insulin sensitizers such as thiazolidinediones can help treat high blood sugar levels.
These medicines can cause liver damage, anemia, heart failure, and blood sugar levels that are too low or too high.
You may also need medicines to prevent or treat complications such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, or stroke.
Weight-loss medicines or surgery
If you have obesity and complications from metabolic syndrome, you may need weight-loss medicines or surgery to help you lose weight.
Weight-loss medicines can help you lose weight by making you feel less hungry. They can also reduce how much fat your body absorbs from your food.
Weight-loss surgery reduces the size of your stomach to help you eat less. Complications from this surgery include damage to your stomach or intestines and problems absorbing nutrients from your food.
Weight loss surgery is not often used to treat metabolic syndrome in children and teens.
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If you care about diabetes, please read studies that intensive lifestyle change can benefit people with prediabetes, and this common food may help lower risk of high blood pressure, diabetes.
For more information about diabetes, please see recent studies about the key to treating type 2 diabetes, and results showing your age may determine whether diabetes drug metformin is useful to you.
Source: NHLBI
