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Metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) is an epidemic in the US, and other industrialized societies. However most people probably are not aware it exists. They know about heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, etc. But they might not know that all of those diseases are likely to result from metabolic syndrome.
The research is complicated, not all researchers agree with each other. This is not the place for a detailed academic argument. But this is a good place, I think, to create some awareness. The exact causes of MetSyn aren't completely known, but there are some reasonable theories.
There is no cure for MetSyn, but fortunately it is not that hard to prevent, or even reverse, if you have the right information. Unfortunately, your MD might not give you the right information.
Everyone knows that diet and exercise are important, and many doctors recommend them. But what they recommend might not be correct, or adequate, for MetSyn.
The basics of Metsyn (and, again, this is not meant to be an academic research paper. I will not provide links to research articles for you. If you are interested, this will just hopefully get you started on your own search for information).
The very basics -- too much refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup (also trans fats and other processed food ingredients) along with too little physical exercise.
If you drink a Coke, for example, there is no fiber, just lots of refined sugar. In its natural state, sugar is usually combined with fiber, as in fruit. But in Coke (and all the other soft drinks and high sugar energy drinks), there is no fiber so the sugar (now glucose) enters the blood quickly.
Insulin allows the glucose to enter cells. When there is very little exercise, very little contraction of muscle cells, there will be an excess of glucose. Cells start becoming resistant to insulin because they can't take in all that sugar.
Insulin resistance leads to high blood levels of insulin, which is harmful. Chronic inflammation also results (won't try to describe all the details, many of which are not known anyway).
Chronic inflammation is often the foundation of the above mentioned modern diseases -- heart disease, atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, etc.
Those diseases are NOT caused by genetics. Genetic vulnerabilities are involved in all diseases, but the diseases that result from MetSyn are mostly caused by the modern lifestyle.
Many of you here at this forum probably have MetSyn. Almost half of women over age 60 have it. About a quarter of younger people have it.
Even if your weight is normal, you are still likely to have MetSyn, although it is more common in overweight individuals.
What can you do?
Stop drinking Coke, and everything like it. Avoid processed food, especially those high in refined sugar and other refined carbohydrates.
Make sure to get enough exercise. The minimum requirements recommended by the CDC might not be enough. They don't sound like nearly enough to me (an hour and a half per week??)
If you already have MetSyn, I think you should get at least an hour a day of exercise, such as fast walking, and more if you have time.
When the muscle cells use a lot of energy, that helps to reverse insulin resistance, which is probably a root cause of MetSyn.
None of this is hard to do! Avoid junk food, walk every day. Pretty simple, and not at all expensive.
And you don't want MetSyn!
Some people will tell you the above mentioned diseases are the inevitable results of age. NO!! They will tell you they are epidemics now because people are living longer. NO!! They can say that, but where is their evidence? It's just a way to shut people up who are trying to increase awareness of this dangerous syndrome.
Also -- very important -- losing weight by restricting calories WILL NOT WORK. It will slow your metabolism, which defeats the whole purpose.
Don't worry about weight, since it is not the cause of MetSyn, although it often goes along with it. Just straighten out your basic lifestyle and you will gradually lose weight without trying, if you need to.
One big reason patients don't take their doctors' advice is that the advice is impossible! Then doctors blame the patients for not losing weight and not doing what they were told. So they give up on lifestyle recommendations and prescribe drugs.
The drugs DO NOT fix the problem! And they often create additional problems, especially with long-term use.
The first paragraph is off, things like type 2 diabetes don't LEAD to it, it is one of A SYMPTOM of metabolic disease.
Metabolic disease is when you have any 3 of:
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions — increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels — that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Having just one of these conditions doesn't mean you have metabolic syndrome. However, any of these conditions increase your risk of serious disease. Having more than one of these might increase your risk even more.
If you have metabolic syndrome or any of its components, aggressive lifestyle changes can delay or even prevent the development of serious health problems.
They rest is way overly simplistic. I have 2 of the markers, HBP and developing trouble with insulin.
I'm thin, my hip to waist ratio of less than .8, heck, I have thigh gap. 99% home cooked healthy meals, I do not, nor ever have drank lots of soda (One sugar free a month tops), I do not cook or eat lots of simple carbs, not even a lot of fruit. I exercise a lot and have a muscular build.
I get the feeling that a blog might be good for you, because it is hard to get a bunch of people to agree with you, which is what I think you want.
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The first paragraph is off, things like type 2 diabetes don't LEAD to it, it is one of A SYMPTOM of metabolic disease.
Metabolic disease is when you have any 3 of:
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions — increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels — that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Having just one of these conditions doesn't mean you have metabolic syndrome. However, any of these conditions increase your risk of serious disease. Having more than one of these might increase your risk even more.
If you have metabolic syndrome or any of its components, aggressive lifestyle changes can delay or even prevent the development of serious health problems.
They rest is way overly simplistic. I have 2 of the markers, HBP and developing trouble with insulin.
I'm thin, my hip to waist ratio of less than .8, heck, I have thigh gap. 99% home cooked healthy meals, I do not, nor ever have drank lots of soda (One sugar free a month tops), I do not cook or eat lots of simple carbs, not even a lot of fruit. I exercise a lot and have a muscular build.
I get the feeling that a blog might be good for you, because it is hard to get a bunch of people to agree with you, which is what I think you want.
I never said type 2 diabetes leads to MetSyn. I said type 2 diabetes is often a result of MetSyn.
And no, I am not looking for people to agree with me. I want them to think about this. It is EXTREMELY important and there is not much awareness.
There are exceptions to everything in medicine. Your lifestyle would not typically lead to MetSyn, but there could be other factors involved.
This would be best written as a blog, not a thread. So it is closed. Do NOT start another thread on this subject. You do not tolerate disagreement or discussion so please make it into a blog.
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