Metabolic Syndrome

If you're an adult in America, there's a 27 percent chance that you have metabolic syndrome. Even though it affects 55 million people in the United States, you may not have heard of this syndrome, much less understand it. It is actually a group of metabolic disorders--obesity, insulin resistance, abnormal cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure. While each of these problems can lead to cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes, the collective effect of metabolic syndrome significantly increases the risk of death from these diseases.

There are no specific symptoms of metabolic syndrome, but it takes a toll on health. People with metabolic syndrome are 3.5 times more likely to die of a heart-related ailment and 5 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. The good news is that you can overcome this deadly syndrome.

If you have three or more of the following, you have metabolic syndrome:

• A waistline of 40 inches or more for men and 35 inches or more for women
• Triglyceride level above 150 mg/dl (fasting)
• High blood pressure (Blood pressure of 130/85 mm Hg or higher)
• Fasting blood glucose (sugar) level greater than 100 mg/dl
• “Good” cholesterol (HDL) less than 40 mg/dl in men or under 50 mg/dl in women

Dr. Scott Isaacs is the author of the book, Overcoming Metabolic Syndrome.