Metabolic Syndrome
A person diagnosed with metabolic syndrome will have several risk factors related to cardiovascular disease, including stroke, heart disease, and diabetes. It could be one of these, or the person could be a candidate for all the three diseases.
Typically, a person with metabolic syndrome could have various conditions such as high triglyceride and cholesterol levels, excess body fat around the waist, high blood sugar, and increased blood pressure. A person who frequently eats more calories than their body could burn, mainly if they consume high-carbohydrate foods, and the individual could have higher levels of triglycerides.
But having one of these conditions does not mean the person has metabolic syndrome. However, it could lead to a more serious disease like heart disease or type 2 diabetes. One of the things to watch out for is insulin resistance, which applies to most people diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, especially those who are obese. The person will need to seek medical attention because the body needs to produce more insulin to overcome the resistance and prevent the increase in the level of blood sugar and the possibility of contracting type 2 diabetes.
Medical experts do not fully understand the specific causes of metabolic syndrome, as an interconnection among the factors exists. For example, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle are risk factors.
