Rating

	My Rating: 1 ratings 5 stars (1) 4 stars (0) 3 stars (0) 2 stars (0) 1 stars (0)

Email

	Email this page to a friend Friend's Email: Your Name: Your Email: Enter the code shown: Submitting Send Email

How this condition is linked to diabetes

by Melanie Burke

Metabolic syndrome is a term used to describe a group of factors that can potentially increase your chances of developing heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Many of these risk factors, which are listed below, have been linked to a lack of physical activity and/or obesity.

But how exactly does metabolic syndrome relate to diabetes? There's a fair amount of overlap between the two conditions. For people with type 2 diabetes, the cause of their disease is “insulin resistance.” People with insulin resistance are making insulin (a hormone needed to process sugar correctly) but their body's cells can't use it to process (or metabolize) the sugar. Their blood sugar levels become abnormally high, leading to type 2 diabetes. And insulin resistance, it turns out, is also a risk factor for metabolic syndrome.

Risk Factors for Metabolic Syndrome

The following are all considered risk factors for metabolic syndrome. In order to be diagnosed, you must have at least three of these five factors.

• A large waistline or, as your doctor may phrase it, “waist circumference,” or an “apple shape”
• A high level of triglycerides (triglycerides are a type of fat found in the blood)
• A low level of HDL or “good” cholesterol
• High blood pressure (hypertension) or prehypertension above a certain level
• High fasting blood sugar (blood glucose)

Be aware, too, that if your numbers look good because you're on medication, that’s also considered an at-risk situation. For instance, if your fasting blood sugars are less than 100 mg/dL because you are on a glucose-lowering medicine, you would still have one of the three factors needed for an official diagnosis of metabolic syndrome.

One of the first — and most important — steps to avoiding metabolic syndrome is maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best diet and exercise routine for you. Learn more about how to avoid heart disease. 

Published on March 11, 2015.

Melanie Burke is a lifestyle and culture writer in San Francisco.