Metabolic syndrome (patient information)
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Metabolic syndrome (patient information) |
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Where to find medical care for Metabolic syndrome (patient information)? |
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Metabolic syndrome (patient information) On the Web |
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Directions to Hospitals Treating Metabolic syndrome (patient information) |
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Metabolic syndrome (patient information) |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Metabolic syndrome is a name for a group of risk factors that occur together and increase the risk for coronary artery disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
What are the symptoms of Metabolic syndrome?
Extra weight around your waist (central or abdominal obesity)
What causes Metabolic syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is becoming more and more common in the United States. Researchers are not sure whether the syndrome is due to one single cause, but all of the risks for the syndrome are related to obesity.
The two most important risk factors for metabolic syndrome are:
- Extra weight around the middle and upper parts of the body (central obesity). The body may be described as "apple-shaped."
- Insulin resistance, in which the body cannot use insulin effectively. Insulin is needed to help control the amount of sugar in the body. As a result, blood sugar and fat levels rise.
Other risk factors include:
- Aging
- Genes that make you more likely to develop this condition
- Hormone changes
- Lack of exercise
Peole who have metabolic syndrome often have two other problems that can either cause the condition or make it worse:
- Excess blood clotting
- Low levels of inflammation throughout the body
Who is at highest risk?
When to seek urgent medical care?
Diagnosis
Treatment options
According to the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, metabolic syndrome is present if you have three or more of the following signs:
- Blood pressure equal to or higher than 130/85 mmHg
- Fasting blood sugar (glucose) equal to or higher than 100 mg/dL
- Large waist circumference (length around the waist):
- Men - 40 inches or more
- Women - 35 inches or more
- Low HDL cholesterol:
- Men - under 40 mg/dL
- Women - under 50 mg/dL
- Triglycerides equal to or higher than 150 mg/dL
Tests that may be done to diagnose metabolic syndrome include:
- Blood pressure measurement
- Glucose test
- HDL cholesterol level
- LDL cholesterol level
- Total cholesterol level
- Triglyceride level
Where to find medical care for Metabolic syndrome?
Directions to Hospitals Treating Metabolic syndrome
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Possible complications
Sources
- Cardiology patient information
- Congenital disorders patient information
- Dermatology patient information
- Drug patient information
- Emergency medicine patient information
- Endocrinology patient information
- Gastroenterology patient information
- Genetic disorders patient information
- Gynecology patient information
- Hematology patient information
- Infectious disease patient information
- Immunology patient information
- Metabolic disorders patient information
- Neurology patient information
- Neurosurgery patient information
- Obstetrics patient information
- Oncology patient information
- Opthalmology patient information
- Orthopedics patient information
- Otolaryngology patient information
- Pediatrics patient information
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- Pulmonary patient information
- Rheumatology patient information
- Patient information
- Overview complete
- Disease state
- Template complete