Metabolic Syndrome
What is Metabolic Syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions—increased waist circumference, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, and high fasting glucose—that significantly elevate the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. It is primarily driven by insulin resistance, obesity, physical inactivity, and genetics.
Defining the waistline
A waist measurement of >89 centimeters for women and >102 centimeters for men is a key criterion for metabolic syndrome. A large waistline, or "apple-shaped" body, is a primary indicator of metabolic syndrome, signaling high levels of dangerous visceral fat around abdominal organs. The fat is not just under the skin, but around internal organs and which releases inflammatory chemicals that cause insulin resistance.
Elevated Blood Pressure
The body fat not only causes insulin resistance, but also a rise in blood pressure (BP). An elevated blood pressure that stays high above 130/85 for a long time, causes damage to the heart and blood vessels. High blood pressure also causes plaque, a waxy substance, to build up in the arteries, which results in heart and blood vessel diseases such as heart attack or stroke.
Abnormal metabolic bio-indicators
The inflammatory chemicals released by the excess fat cause insulin resistance, a rise in fasting glucose, triglycerides elevation, and a reduction in "good" (HDL) cholesterol. The high blood glucose, damages blood vessels and raises the risk of getting blood clots which can cause heart and blood vessel diseases. High blood triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood) raise your levels of "Bad" LDL cholesterol, and increasing the risk of heart disease. Normal HDL levels are important for heart health. “Good” HDL cholesterol helps remove “bad” LDL cholesterol from the blood vessels. So a low HDL is problematic.