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L i v e Yo u n g e r L o n g e r
Metabolic Syndrome
A Silent Condition
Do You Fit the Criteria?
How do you know if you have metabolic
syndrome? The condition is defined as
meeting three or more of these criteria:
•
Abdominal obesity: A waist
circumference of 40 inches or
more for men and 35 inches or
more for women.
•
Triglyceride level of 150 mm Hg
or higher.
•
Serum HDL (good) cholesterol less
than 40 mg/dL for men and less
than 50 mg/dL for women.
•
Blood pressure of 130/85 mm Hg
or higher, or being on blood
pressure medication.
•
Fasting plasma glucose level of
100 mg/dL or higher, or being on
medication for diabetes.
The more factors you have, the higher
your risk for heart disease (including
heart attack and stroke) and diabetes.
“Metabolic syndrome has more
to do with fat around the waist,
which increases insulin resistance,
inflammation and hypertension,” says
Whie Oh, MD, cardiologist. “And it
impairs blood vessels, which ultimately
leads to coronary disease.”
How Can You Have
Metabolic Syndrome If You
Feel Normal?
Many people with metabolic syndrome
claim to feel normal. But the reality is
that they aren’t normal inside.
For example, a blood pressure of
130/85 mm Hg is higher than normal
(120/80 mm Hg), but high blood
pressure usually isn’t treated with
medication until a reading of 140/90
mm Hg. Similarly, a glucose level of
100 mg/dL usually isn’t treated with
medication, even though it’s in the
range considered to be prediabetic (100
to 125 mg/dL). Medication usually isn’t
prescribed until a reading of higher than
125 mg/dL. Therefore, many people
who have metabolic syndrome are
not flagged as having a serious health
problem requiring medical attention.
“With borderline
high cholesterol,
high blood
pressure and
prediabetic blood
sugar levels, you
may not feel
any different,”
says Dr. Oh.
“Consequently, you may not take any
steps to do anything about it. This is
why metabolic syndrome is
so dangerous.”
Dr. Oh says it is better to make
changes when you are younger, before
irreversible damage occurs in your body.
You’ll feel better, and your body is able
to respond better to your efforts.
If you have a condition called metabolic syndrome, you should pay attention. This condition doubles your
risk for developing cardiovascular disease and increases your risk of developing diabetes by 10 times.
Worse – you may have metabolic syndrome yet feel perfectly healthy.
With borderline
high cholesterol,
high blood pressure
and prediabetic
blood sugar levels,
you may not feel
any different... This
is why metabolic
syndrome is so
dangerous.
“
“
Whie Oh, MD
Whie Oh, MD
Cardiologist
That Could Harm Your
Heart
