 Metabolic
Syndrome causes heart disease and increases the risk of a heart
attack or stroke. But many people are unaware that they are
suffering from this disorder, even though the American Heart
Association estimates that 20-25% of the adult population of the
U.S. suffers from the condition also known as Syndrome X.
That means between 58 and 73
million men and women are at risk from a disorder that can cause
major damage to the cardiovascular system. Combating this
condition is a key factor in heart disease prevention.
Metabolic Syndrome is characterized by having at least three of
the following symptoms:
- Insulin Resistance (when the body can’t absorb blood sugar or
utilize insulin properly)
- Abdominal fat – in men this means a 40 inch
waist or larger, in women 35 inches or larger
- High blood sugar levels – at least 110 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) after fasting
- High triglycerides – at least 150 mg/dL in the blood stream
- Low HDL (the “good” cholesterol) – less than
40 mg/dL if male and 50 mg/dL if female
- Prothrombotic state (e.g. high fibrinogen or
plasminogen activator inhibitor in the blood)
- Blood pressure of 130/85 mmHg or higher
The American Heart Association states that the “underlying
causes of Metabolic Syndrome are being overweight, physical
inactivity and genetic factors.”
Crucial developments in Metabolic Syndrome are
weight gain and obesity, which can be caused by Insulin
Resistance. This latter disorder prevents the efficient
conversion of food into energy because of a vastly reduced
number of insulin receptors on the cell wall. It’s been
estimated that a typical healthy person has 20,000 insulin
receptor site per cell, while the average overweight individual
can have as few as 5,000.
 If
you have a greatly reduced number of insulin receptor sites on
the cell's surface, your ability to lose weight is severely
compromised.
Insulin acts as “a key in a lock”, allowing
glucose to pass through the cell wall and be converted to
energy. If you have too few receptor sites, glucose bounces off
the cell wall instead of passing through the insulin “door”. As
a result, glucose floats freely in the blood stream, causing
elevated levels of blood sugar, which are sent to the liver.
Once there, the sugar is converted into fat and circulated via
the blood stream throughout the body in a process that can lead
to weight gain and obesity.
Free-floating insulin also has a harmful
affect. It can damage the lining of the arteries and contribute
to the development of atherosclerosis, which is characterized by
a dangerous build-up of plaque on the artery walls.
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“As a new insulin guy who has gone through the nightmare of
adjusting doses and known Insulin Resistance as a horrible lack
of knowledge on the subject, you gave me some hope for the
future. Thanks."
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K.A. |
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North Olmsted, OH |
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In
addition, the imbalance of glucose and insulin can lead to a
greater risk of developing Cardiovascular Disease because it causes
increased levels of triglycerides, which are fat-storing
substances carried through the blood stream to the tissues. As
your weight increases, stressors build up on the entire
cardiovascular system. The heart and lungs, for example, have to
work harder to distribute an adequate amount of
freshly-oxygenated blood throughout the body. As well as the
increase in triglycerides, there is also a lowering of “good” HDL cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart attack and
stroke.
Increased insulin and glucose levels in those suffering
from Metabolic Syndrome have also been proven to cause changes
in the kidneys’ ability to remove salt, as well as increasing
the risk of blood clot formation. All of these are key factors
in the development of Cardiovascular Disease, heart attacks and
stroke.
You may be interested in some of our Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs) about Metabolic Syndrome and the Insulite
MetaX System.
Click here to read about the
Clinical Components of Metabolic Syndrome
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