Metabolic Syndrome is probably the most serious medical condition that you haven’t heard
about yet.
So, what is Metabolic Syndrome, why is it so serious and why haven’t you heard about
it?
Here is what you need to know.
The Metabolic Syndrome is a cluster of the most dangerous heart attack risk factors namely:
raised blood glucose; central adiposity (often called beer belly); abnormal cholesterol levels;
abnormal blood fats (also called triglycerides); and high blood pressure.
It is estimated that 1 in 4 adults have Metabolic Syndrome and the condition becomes more common
as we get older; so that by the age of 50 nearly a third of adults have Metabolic Syndrome.
So why is Metabolic Syndrome so important?
Well if you have Metabolic Syndrome, you are much more likely to suffer a heart attack
or stroke, much more likely to develop full blown diabetes, and much more likely to develop
cancer and more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
All of these conditions are serious and they are getting far more common.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease have overtaken cancer and heart disease as the leading cause
of death in England and Wales in 2016 and the Metabolic Syndrome and diabetes are thought
to be important risk factors for these conditions.
So, how can you check to see if you have Metabolic Syndrome?
Well, first of all, get out a tape measure.
If you are a man and your waist circumference is more than 94 cm or if you are a woman and
your waist is more than 80 cm you have one of the main features of Metabolic Syndrome.
If in addition you have any 2 of the following you will be classified as having Metabolic
Syndrome namely: raised blood triglycerides; reduced HDL cholesterol-sometimes known as
good cholesterol; raised blood pressure; or raised fasting plasma glucose.
Note if you are a man of South Asian or Indian heritage, the important threshold for waist
circumference is 90 cm.
Metabolic Syndrome has not yet been classified as a disease – it is still regarded as a
collection of signs and symptoms which together are serious risk factors for our most deadly
and disabling medical conditions.
Several medical organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Independent
Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance
(EGIR) define the Metabolic Syndrome in very slightly different ways and this adds even
more to the confusion about what exactly Metabolic Syndrome is.
However, many experts now believe that the underlying problem in Metabolic Syndrome is
insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance develops when this hormone cannot work properly, when blood insulin levels
are abnormally high and still relatively ineffective in keeping blood glucose levels regulated
properly.
Metabolic specialists now increasingly use the term “Insulin Resistance Syndrome”
instead of Metabolic Syndrome.
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas and it is important in the metabolism of carbohydrates
and fats.
When sugar and carbohydrates are eaten, insulin promotes the uptake of glucose from the blood
into muscles and fat cells.
Hence, it is often said that insulin allows cells to use glucose for energy and also to
store excess glucose and sugar as glycogen and fat.
When blood glucose levels fall, stored glucose is released for energy from the breakdown
of glycogen stores in the liver and in the muscles.
In the Metabolic Syndrome, insulin levels are chronically high, that means they never
really go back down to normal.
Fasting blood levels of insulin in the morning are often abnormally high and insulin levels
rise to very high levels when food is eaten.
Continuously high levels of insulin cause the liver cells to store fat, resulting in
a fatty liver which cannot function normally.
As the Insulin Resistance worsens, the pancreas may not be able to produce enough insulin
in response to food and then glucose levels in the blood rise above the threshold for
the person to be called diabetic.
So why haven’t you heard of Metabolic Syndrome?
Well, until recently, the connection between Metabolic Syndrome and a host of chronic diseases
was not fully understood.
We now know that insulin resistance is the key.
Until recently, it was very difficult to measure blood insulin levels, but, the technology
has improved and we can now measure blood insulin levels accurately and we have good
tests to diagnose Insulin Resistance as well as good strategies to reverse insulin resistance
and the Metabolic Syndrome.
Once you can measure Insulin Resistance, you are well on your way to fixing it and monitoring
improvement with interventions.
I foresee the emergence of bespoke Metabolic Assessments and patient-centred Metabolic
Interventions without drugs or medications for apparently healthy people to reduce the
risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia.
In addition, for those people with these conditions, we can now test for insulin resistance and
we can potentially reverse these illnesses.
If you would like an information leaflet on Metabolic Syndrome you can request a copy
via our contact form or via email.