Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. These conditions include:
● Abdominal obesity (excess fat in the stomach area)
● High blood pressure
● High fasting blood sugar levels
● High triglyceride levels
● Low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, or "good" cholesterol
Understanding metabolic syndrome is an important part of managing it because it's not just one disease. This combination of health issues can significantly increase your risk of developing serious, potentially life-threatening complications.
Here are some of the reasons you might have developed metabolic syndrome in the first place.
The Causes of Metabolic Syndrome
The exact causes of metabolic syndrome are still not fully understood. However, it's widely agreed that a combination of genetics, poor lifestyle choices, and certain health conditions contribute to its development.
Obesity, particularly when the fat is concentrated around the waist, is a significant risk factor for metabolic syndrome. While obesity is a problem, not all people who are obese have unhealthy diets. Lack of physical activity, hormone imbalances, leaky gut syndrome, etc., can lead to weight gain and obesity, and it also has a direct impact on your body's metabolism, increasing the risk of insulin resistance and diabetes.
An unhealthy diet with lots of processed foods, saturated fats, trans fats, and sugar, can contribute to weight gain, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, all of which are components of metabolic syndrome. Insulin resistance, a condition where your body can't use insulin effectively, can lead to high blood sugar levels.
However, these conditions have a genetic component as well. If people in your family struggle with their weight or suffer from diabetes or high blood pressure, you may be at a higher risk.
Symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome
While being overweight is obvious, the other symptoms of metabolic syndrome can be subtle and may go unnoticed until a serious health complication arises.
It’s generally clear when you have a large waist circumference, but high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, and abnormal cholesterol levels can only be uncovered with bloodwork.
If you're a man and your waist measures more than 40 inches, or if you're a woman and your waist measures more than 35 inches, you could be at higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome.
Abnormal cholesterol levels, particularly high levels of triglycerides and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, should also be checked for.
How is Metabolic Syndrome Diagnosed?
Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed based on the presence of at least 3 of the 5 conditions listed above along with confirming bloodwork.
To diagnose metabolic syndrome, your healthcare provider will perform several tests. These tests may include a blood test to check your cholesterol and triglyceride levels, a blood pressure measurement, a fasting blood glucose test, and a waist circumference measurement.
Understanding your metabolic syndrome diagnosis is not about getting a label — instead, it's about knowing your health risks and taking proactive steps to manage them.
Once you're diagnosed, your healthcare provider can help you understand what your diagnosis means and what specifically you can do to potentially reverse your diagnosis.
Treatment Options for Metabolic Syndrome
Controlling individual risk factors is the main treatment for metabolic syndrome. This may involve lifestyle modifications or medication, depending on the severity of your condition.
Lifestyle changes are often the first line of defense. This can include adopting a healthier diet like eliminating grains and increasing natural fiber, increasing physical activity, losing weight, and quitting smoking (which leads to high blood pressure).
A healthy diet is a cornerstone of managing metabolic syndrome. Though everyone is different, it’s generally a good idea to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
However, working with your healthcare provider to come up with a diet you can reasonably stick to is your best chance of success. If you try to take on a strict diet that feels like a punishment and that makes you miserable, you’re unlikely to stick to it.
Regular physical activity is also essential. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week.
If you're overweight or obese, weight loss is another crucial aspect of managing metabolic syndrome. Even a modest weight loss of 5–10% of your body weight can significantly reduce your risk of developing the serious health complications associated with metabolic syndrome.
Excessive alcohol use can directly cause high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels. Alcohol is mostly sugar, so drinking every day or drinking large amounts causes your blood sugar levels to be elevated.
For the same reason, excessive alcohol use leads to weight gain — even a single shot of liquor can have 100 calories or more. A handful of drinks every day or a large amount once or twice a week adds up.
However, if you can make changes to these issues in your life, it can have a significant impact on your health and can often reduce or even eliminate some of the conditions that contribute to metabolic syndrome.
In some cases, lifestyle changes may not be enough, and medication may be necessary.
Metabolic Syndrome Medications Explained
The type of medication that can be prescribed will depend on the specific conditions you have.
If you have high blood pressure, your doctor may prescribe antihypertensive drugs or high quality nutritional supplementation. These medications and/or supplements work to lower blood pressure, reducing the strain on your heart and blood vessels.
If you have high cholesterol or triglyceride levels, statins or other cholesterol-lowering drugs may be recommended if natural remedies don't work.
For those with high blood sugar levels, antidiabetic drugs may be used to help your body better use insulin and control your blood sugar levels if all other options failed.
It's important to remember that medication is often used in conjunction with lifestyle changes, not as a substitute — it’s unlikely that medication alone is going to have an effect if you continue to eat poorly and live a sedentary lifestyle.
Hormone Replacement Therapy and Metabolic Syndrome
When testosterone, estrogen, and other hormones become imbalanced, it can be much harder to lose weight.
Once you put on a significant amount of weight, your body’s new fat cells will start to overproduce estrogen, which can make weight loss extremely difficult.
For both men and women, hormone replacement therapy may help. Numerous studies have shown that hormone replacement therapy for both men and women — without any lifestyle changes — is associated with modest weight loss.
On top of that, low hormone levels can leave you feeling totally drained. It can feel impossible to make those lifestyle changes you know you need to make — the energy to do it just isn’t there.
Hormone replacement therapy can help with that as well.
If you’ve struggled to lose weight and can’t seem to keep it off, let’s talk.
To learn more about hormone replacement therapy and discuss your options, schedule an appointment today.