Metabolic Syndrome: Causes and Treatments

Metabolic syndrome is a collection of 5 conditions that can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and other health complications. Learn more about metabolic syndrome in this article!

Keep reading to know more.

What is Metabolic Syndrome?

As discussed earlier, metabolic syndrome refers to a group of 5 specific conditions rather than a single disease. These conditions are:

• Too much fat around the waist (central obesity).
• Low HDL (good cholesterol) levels.
• High blood pressure (hypertension).
• High blood sugar (hyperglycemia).
• High triglyceride levels.

Patients having 3 out of 5 of the above conditions are diagnosed with metabolic syndrome.

What Causes Metabolic Syndrome?

The following is a list of some of the main causes of metabolic syndrome you should know:

• Scientists believe that one of the probable causes is genetics. If health problems like obesity or high blood pressure run in the family it can put you at an increased risk of metabolic syndrome.
• Having an unhealthy diet may lead to metabolic syndrome. Refined carbs, trans fats and excess sugar can cause obesity and increase your waist circumference putting you at risk of metabolic syndrome.
• A lot of people nowadays live a sedentary lifestyle with minimal to no physical activity. This can cause various problems like insulin resistance, weight gain, and poor glycemic control.
• Another cause is stress. Increased stress is not just bad for your mental health but can also cause high blood pressure, insulin resistance and obesity by increasing your cortisol levels.
• In certain circumstances, hormonal imbalances such as in menopause or PCOS may make you more susceptible to metabolic syndrome.

Treatment Options for Metabolic Syndrome

For treating metabolic syndrome, your doctor can suggest a range of treatment options. They are:

Lifestyle Changes

Adopting a healthy lifestyle can help you deal with health issues such as metabolic syndrome. You have to eat healthily and engage in regular physical activity. 

Aim for a balanced diet and limit the consumption of processed foods and foods high in trans fats and sugars. This can provide several benefits like a healthy body weight and reduced risk of obesity and high blood pressure.

Quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption is also recommended.

Medications

In some cases, lifestyle changes alone aren’t enough to manage metabolic syndrome. Hence your doctor may recommend medications for high blood pressure, increased blood sugar levels, and low HDL.

You should continue these medications along with lifestyle changes and physical activity for effective metabolic syndrome management.

Stress Management

If stress is determined to be the root cause behind metabolic syndrome, you may be advised to practice stress management techniques and exercises. 

Yoga, mindfulness, and getting therapy for stress can be highly beneficial in this regard.

Conclusion

Metabolic syndrome can present with silent symptoms that may be difficult to identify early on. To get an accurate diagnosis, you should visit an experienced healthcare provider so that you can get the treatment you need in the early stages.

Consult an internal medicine doctor for metabolic syndrome through oladoc today.