Because metabolic syndrome is a combination of disorders, your doctor may choose to separately treat each of the disorders that you have.

Treating Cholesterol (also called Lipids)
If you are suffering from abnormal cholesterol levels your doctor may prescribe drugs that help to correct the problem. The names of drugs can be confusing and complicated. Your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist can help explain what drugs you will be taking, why you will take them, and how they can be helpful.
The drugs most often prescribed if you are having trouble with your cholesterol are called statin drugs. They are sold under several brand names, including:

• Zocor
• Crestor
• Lescol
• Mevacor
• Lipitor

Like most drugs, the drugs used to treat high cholesterol levels can have serious side effects. Your doctor or pharmacist will discuss these with you.

It is likely that your doctor will tell you that diet and exercise can have a positive impact on your cholesterol levels. Diets and exercising that lead to weight loss almost always improve your cholesterol levels, and a healthy diet has no bad side effects.

Treating High Blood Pressure (Your doctor may call it hypertension.)
Your doctor may prescribe medication if you have high blood pressure. A number of different drugs have proven helpful in lowering blood pressure. These drugs can have serious side effects which you should discuss with your doctor or pharmacist.

Life style can have a big effect on your blood pressure. Pay attention to:

• The kind of food you eat
• The amount of salt you take in
• How much you exercise
• How much alcohol you drink
• If you smoke
• Your weight

If you eat and drink healthfully and stop smoking, you may find that your blood pressure gets much better. For more detailed information on High blood pressure (hypertension and how to deal with it visit: High Blood Pressure

Treating Inflammation and Clotting Disorders.
Your doctor may ask you to begin taking aspirin daily. This helps prevent or lessen inflammation. It also helps in avoiding unwanted clotting or thickening of your blood.

Treating Insulin Resistance or Glucose Intolerance
In some cases your doctor may prescribe drugs to assist in dealing with insulin resistance or glucose intolerance.

While drugs can be helpful, most health care providers agree that diet and exercise are essential factors in dealing with insulin resistance and glucose intolerance.

You should:

• develop a diet that is low in calories, low in cholesterol (fat) and has lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, and fiber.
• make every effort to bring your weight to within 20% of what is considered ideal for you.
• get into the habit of exercising 20 to 30 minutes per day. This need not be unpleasant and can be as simple as starting your day with a 20 minute walk.

Treating Obesity
You most likely have seen commercials on TV for “miracle� weight loss medicines. It is questionable if any of them are as good as they claim and some may be useless. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration has approved only three medicines for the treatment of obesity. These are all prescription drugs only available if your doctor prescribes them.

In very extreme cases of obesity, surgery may be performed to reduce the amount of food that can be eaten or absorbed.

Neither drugs nor surgery can work without also including healthy life style changes. Diet and exercise are the key components to dealing with obesity and accomplishing weight loss.

The Importance of Diet, Exercise, and Life Style

To learn more:

Food Remedies: High Cholesterol

A commercial site providing information on conventional medicine and alternative therapies to help the body strengthen and then heal itself.

http://www.wholehealthmd.com/main/food-remedies/high-cholesterol-49.aspx

Heart Disease: Metabolic Syndrome: Self Care
(MayoClinic.com)

If you think you are at risk of developing metabolic syndrome, get tips from this article about the syndrome that can help you reduce your risk.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/metabolic-syndrome/manage/pt
c-20197547

High Blood Pressure
(Hands on Health-SC)

Read this for a general introduction to high blood pressure. This section also includes links to many Web sites which focus on all aspects of high blood pressure and hypertension-related disease.

http://www.handsonhealth-sc.org/page.php?id=1055

How Can I Lower High Cholesterol?
(American Heart Association)

Advice on lowering your cholesterol in PDF format.

http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@hcm/documents/downloadab
le/ucm_300460.pdf

The link above requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you are unable to view or download this article, get Acrobat Reader here.

Metabolic Syndrome

Information about metabolic syndrome from the American Academy of Family Physicians.

https://familydoctor.org/condition/metabolic-syndrome/

Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

A thorough guide to making lifestyle changes that will lower your blood pressure.

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/heart/hbp_low.pdf

The link above requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you are unable to view or download this article, get Acrobat Reader here.

Weight Loss and Control
(National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases)

Publications on nutrition, physical activity, and weight control for the public, for health care professionals and in Spanish from the Weight-control Information Network (WIN).

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-communication-programs/
win/Pages/default.aspx

next » Where can I go for help and more information about metabolic syndrome?

Written by: Christopher A. Colthorpe, M.A., M.A.Ed., M.L.I.S.
Reviewed by: Jeffrey G. Schultze, M.D.
Last Modified: Monday November 28, 2016 10:46 AM