METABOLIC SYNDROME WHAT THIS IS?

Metabolic syndrome is the medical term for a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension) and obesity. It puts you at greater risk of getting coronary heart disease, stroke and other conditions that affect the blood vessels. On their own, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity can damage your blood vessels, but having all 3 together is particularly dangerous. They’re very common conditions that are linked, which explains why metabolic syndrome affects an estimated 1 in 3 older adults aged 50 or older in the UK.

Diagnosing of Metabolic Syndrome is if you have 3 or more of the following symptoms:

• An inability to control blood sugar levels (insulin resistance)
• High blood pressure that’s consistently 140/90mmHg or higher
• A waist circumference of 94cm or more in European men, or 90cm or more in South Asian men
• A waist circumference of 80cm or more in European and South Asian women
• High triglyceride levels (fat in the blood) and low levels of HDL (the “good” cholesterol) in your blood, which can lead to atherosclerosis (where arteries become clogged with fatty substances such as cholesterol)
• An increased risk of developing blood clots, such as DVT (deep vein thrombosis) 
• A tendency to develop irritation and swelling of body tissue (inflammation)

What is Insulin Resistance?

Let’s start by describing what insulin is and what it job is in the body. Insulin is a hormone that is made in the pancreas. It helps to control the amount of sugar in the blood. If you have insulin resistance, your body can’t respond properly to insulin so your pancreas has to make more and more to cope with the build-up of sugar in the blood. Over time, the pancreas is put under more and more pressure to make insulin. Eventually the strain can become too much and the pancreas won’t be able to make enough insulin. The levels of sugar in the blood rise and stay high. This is called Type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance is the stage that comes before Type 2 diabetes. It’s also known as pre-diabetes. At this stage it’s could be possible to prevent Type 2 diabetes.

Insulin resistance can be treated with medicines to help your liver make less glucose (sugar), and to make your body more sensitive to insulin. Lifestyle changes, including a healthy diet and exercise, can also make a huge difference.  These can help prevent insulin resistance from progressing to Type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance is more common in people who are obese, especially if they are carrying the excess fat around their waistline.

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is blood pressure that is constantly over 140/90mmHg. It’s diagnosed when you have several readings, taken on at least three separate occasions, showing that your systolic pressure is 140 or above, or your diastolic is 90 or above, or both. High blood pressure which isn’t brought under control raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes, kidney disease and eye damage.

There isn’t one single cause of high blood pressure. It’s thought to be down to a combination of your genes, ethnic background, family history and your lifestyle.

The following can all raise your blood pressure:

• being overweight
• lack of physical activity
• smoking
• eating foods high in salt and saturated fats – these are often hidden in foods
• drinking a lot of alcohol. 

Obesity name used for someone who has gained enough excess weight to put their health at risk.  Central obesity – where you carry excess fat around your waistline – can affect your blood fats and raise the risk of developing diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Abdominal fat cells are much more metabolically and biologically active. They tend to be more active in producing hormones and chemical messengers that cause inflammation throughout the body. Measuring your waistline is a good way of identifying your risk of illness.

Doctors now recognise that there is a particular pattern of raised blood fats that put you at risk of metabolic syndrome and heart disease. They sometimes refer to this as dyslipidaemia. Normal levels of triglycerides should be below 1.7mmol/L (or less than 2.3mmol/L if you ate normally before the test) and HDL cholesterol (good) should be above 1mmol/L in men and 1.2mmol/L in women

The Good News:

You can prevent or reverse metabolic syndrome by making lifestyle changes, including:

• losing weight 
• exercising regularly 
• eating a healthy, balanced diet to keep your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels under control (Anti-inflammatory Food Plan)
• stopping smoking 
• cutting down on alcohol 

Key Points:

• Medical term for a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension) and obesity.
• It puts you at greater risk of getting coronary heart disease, stroke and other conditions that affect the blood vessels.
• Metabolic syndrome affects an estimated 1 in 3 older adults aged 50 or older in the UK.
• Insulin resistance is the stage that comes before Type 2 diabetes. It’s also known as pre-diabetes. At this stage it’s possible to prevent Type 2 diabetes. 
• High blood pressure which isn’t brought under control raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes, kidney disease and eye damage.
• Central obesity – where you carry excess fat around your waistline – can affect your blood fats and raise the risk of developing diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Measuring your waistline is a good way of identifying your risk of illness.
• You can prevent or reverse metabolic syndrome by making lifestyle changes

Thank you for reading.

Fiona Waring

Dip Nut, BSc.(Hons), MSc PHN, ANutr 

Nutritional Therapist
M: +44 07957 267 964
eatyourgreens@fionawaring.com

‘Registered with the Association for Nutrition – www.associationfornutrition.org
Protecting the public and promoting high standards in evidence-based science and professional practice of nutrition.’