What is Metabolic Syndrome
What is Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is the term used to describe a patient who has three or more specific disorders. Those disorders are:

1. Insulin Resistance. Insulin resistance occurs when your body does not respond to the insulin it produces. Insulin is necessary in order to use (or burn) sugar for your body’s energy. Glucose is another name for sugar, and the amount of sugar in your blood is referred to as a blood glucose level. If you are diabetic, you probably have the risk factor of insulin resistance.

2. High Blood Pressure (sometimes called hypertension). Your blood pressure is high (or elevated) if the reading is 130/85 or higher. If you have been diagnosed or are being treated for hypertension or high blood pressure you have this risk factor.

3. Obesity. Obesity is the term used to describe being very overweight. Being overweight is especially bad when a large amount of the weight is carried around your waist or stomach area. Your doctor may use the term “abdomen” when talking about your stomach. Men with a waist measurement of 40 inches or more are usually considered obese. Women with a waist measurement of 35 inches or more are usually considered obese.
Another way of evaluating weight is BMI, or Body Mass Index. Your BMI value is generated from a table using your height and weight. If your BMI is 27 or higher, you are overweight. If your BMI is 30 or higher you are obese.

Height (ft, in)
Weight (lb) 4'10" 5' 5'2" 5'4" 5'6" 5'8" 5'10" 6' 6'2"
125 26 24 23 22 20 19 18 17 16
130 27 25 24 22 21 20 19 18 17
135 28 26 25 23 22 21 19 18 17
140 29 27 26 24 23 21 20 19 18
145 30 28 27 25 23 22 21 20 19
150 31 29 27 26 24 23 22 20 19
155 32 30 28 27 25 24 22 21 20
160 34 31 29 28 26 24 23 22 21
165 35 32 30 28 27 25 24 22 21
170 36 33 31 29 28 26 24 23 22
175 37 34 32 30 28 27 25 24 23
180 38 35 33 31 29 27 26 25 23
185 39 36 34 32 30 28 27 25 24
190 40 37 35 33 31 29 27 26 24
195 41 38 36 34 32 30 28 27 25
200 42 39 37 34 32 30 29 27 26
205 43 40 38 35 33 31 29 28 26
210 44 41 38 36 34 32 30 29 27
215 45 42 39 37 35 33 31 29 28
220 46 43 40 38 36 34 32 30 28
225 47 44 41 39 36 34 32 31 29
230 48 45 42 40 37 35 33 31 30

4. Abnormal Cholesterol Levels. Cholesterol and triglycerides are forms of fat that are found in your blood. We all have cholesterol and triglycerides circulating in our blood, and it is important to our health that we have the right amount. The fats in your blood are sometimes called lipids. Your doctor may refer to your total cholesterol and its various components (HDL, LDL, and triglycerides) as lipids. He may say that you are suffering from lipid abnormalities. This is just another way of saying that the fats circulating in your blood are at an unhealthy level.

You can take a blood test to find out your cholesterol levels. The test measures how much cholesterol is present in a specific amount of blood. For example your doctor may tell you that your total cholesterol is 210. Your total cholesterol is made up of several different parts. When you are tested you will find out what your total cholesterol level is and what the levels are for the parts that make up the total.

Often doctors will talk about good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. Good cholesterol refers to HDL or high-density lipoproteins. Bad cholesterol refers to LDL or low-density lipoproteins. LDL is “bad” because it has a tendency to stick to the walls of your blood vessels and can build up and block your arteries. HDL is “good” cholesterol because it keeps the LDL moving along and circulating as it should.

Ideally, your total cholesterol level should be below 200. Above 200 is not good.

Total cholesterol level

  • Less than 200 is best.
  • Between 200 to 239 is borderline high.
  • 240 or more means you're at increased risk for disease.

LDL cholesterol levels

  • Less than 130 is best.
  • If you are diabetic – less than 100 is best.
  • If you have coronary artery disease (blocked heart arteries) – less than 70 is best.
  • Between 130 to 159 is borderline high.
  • 160 or more means you're at higher risk for disease.

HDL cholesterol levels

  • Less than 40 means you're at higher risk for disease.
  • 60 or higher reduces your risk of disease.

Triglycerides are a form of fat that your body produces naturally. It also can be absorbed from fat in the foods you eat. High levels of triglycerides can lead to an overall high cholesterol level and that is not good for you.

Triglycerides: What's normal?

Blood level Risk of CV disease

< 150 milligrams per deciliter mg/dL)

No increased risk

150-199 mg/dL

Slightly elevated risk

200-499 mg/dL

High risk

> 499 mg/dL

Very high risk

5. Increased Blood Clotting . The ability for blood to clot is very important. Without it we could not stop bleeding if we cut ourselves. However, it is not good for blood clots to form within your blood system. Blood clots can block arteries or vessels and cause heart attacks or strokes. Obesity might cause your blood to clot too much.

If you develop three or more of the above conditions you could have metabolic syndrome. This places you at a very high risk of developing serious, even life threatening diseases. Individuals with metabolic syndrome are as much as 30 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes as those who do not have metabolic syndrome. While diabetes is treatable, it is a serious, lifelong illness that can cause heart and blood vessel disease, blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage, teeth and gum problems, and toe, foot, or leg amputations.

The risk of developing heart disease, heart attack, or stroke also goes up for individuals with metabolic syndrome. If you have metabolic syndrome you are two to four times more likely to develop heart disease than are those who do not have the syndrome. People with the syndrome are also at risk of developing liver and kidney disorders.

Over 47 million Americans are thought to have metabolic syndrome. It could be said that this is one of the most common health problems in America. The likelihood of developing metabolic disorder increases with age, but during the past few years the numbers of young adults developing the syndrome has increased. The average cost of medicine for treating adults with metabolic syndrome is more than $4,000 a year.

To Learn More:

Metabolic syndrome
(Mayo Clinic)
The MayoClinic.com provides an understandable definition of metabolic syndrome, as well as signs and symptoms, causes, risk factors, diagnosis and treatment. It also gives prevention information.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/metabolic-syndrome/symptoms-
causes/syc-20351916
Metabolic Syndrome
MedicineNet.com is an online, healthcare media publishing company. It provides medical information for consumers via its interactive web site.
https://www.medicinenet.com/metabolic_syndrome/article.htm
Metabolic Syndrome: - ‘The Costliest Condition You’ve Never Heard of’ Afflicts Nearly One in Four Americans
(Medical News Today)
A recent study undertaken by Medco Health Systems has shown the enormous cost to those suffering from metabolic syndrome.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/24042.php

To Learn More: Thoughts

Because metabolic syndrome is a condition made up of several disorders you may wish to get additional information on each of the separate disorders. The following Websites may prove useful:

For information on Insulin Resistance and Pre-diabetes:

Insulin Resistance and Pre-Diabetes
Reviews causes and symptoms of insulin resistance, discusses how insulin resistance diagnosis, who is at risk, ways to treat insulin resistance. Provided by the National Diabetes Clearing House.
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/Diabetes/insulin
-resistance-prediabetes/Pages/index.aspx
Insulin Resistance Syndrome
A detailed article on insulin resistance published by the American Academy of Physicians.
http://www.aafp.org/afp/2001/0315/p1159.html
Insulin resistance symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatment
MedicineNet.com is an online, healthcare media publishing company. It provides medical information for consumers via its interactive web site.
https://www.medicinenet.com/insulin_resistance/article.htm

For information on Diabetes:

Diabetes
(Hands on Health-SC)
Read this for a general introduction to diabetes. This section also includes links to many Web sites which focus on all aspects of diabetes.
http://www.handsonhealth-sc.org/page.php?id=1117
American Diabetes Association
This site has all kinds of information about diabetes. For a good introduction to the disease and how people live with it, select Newly Diagnosed? from the menu on the right. This takes you to the Diabetes Learning Center. Click on one of the large blue buttons in the center of the page. Select THE CHANNEL to view information in English or EL CANAL for Spanish. Explore other parts of the site for good information that will help you understand diabetes.
http://www.diabetes.org/
Canadian Diabetes Association
The goal of the Canadian Diabetes Association's web site is to become the online resource for people with, and affected by, diabetes.
http://www.diabetes.ca/

For information on high blood pressure:

High Blood Pressure
Information on high blood pressure provided by the American Heart Association.
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/High-Blood-Press
ure-ATH_UCM_002020_SubHomePage.jsp
High Blood Pressure
(MEDLINEplus)
MEDLINEplus (a Web site of the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health) offers an excellent Web site collection of information about high blood pressure including easy-to-read, interactive and Spanish language sources. Information is divided into easy-to-find categories.
https://medlineplus.gov/highbloodpressure.html
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

For information on high cholesterol:

NHLBI, High Blood Cholesterol: What You Need to Know
Information from the National Cholesterol Education Program.
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/resources/heart/heart-cholesterol-hbc-what
-html
Frequently Asked Questions: Heart Disease
The Department of Health and Human Services’ web page on high cholesterol, designed especially for women.
https://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/heart
-disease.html

For information on obesity:

Overweight and Obesity: CDC
Information on obesity from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/index.html
The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Obesity
The Surgeon General of the United States offers information in PDF format.
https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/pdf/CalltoAction.pdf
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next » What causes 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 October 09, 2017 11:33 AM