Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that put you at risk for heart disease and diabetes. These conditions are

High blood pressure
High blood sugar levels
High levels of triglycerides, a type of fat, in your blood
Low levels of HDL, the good cholesterol, in your blood
Too much fat around your waist

Not all doctors agree on the definition or cause of metabolic syndrome. The cause might be insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone your body produces to help you turn sugar from food into energy for your body. If you are insulin resistant, too much sugar builds up in your blood, setting the stage for disease.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Metabolic Syndrome on Wikipedia

'''Metabolic syndrome''' is a combination of medicine disorders that affect a large number of people in a clustered fashion. In some studies, the prevalence in the USA is calculated as being up to 25% of the population.

Nomenclature

Other names for this syndrome are: * Syndrome X; * Metabolic syndrome X; * Insulin resistance syndrome; * Reaven's Syndrome, after Dr Gerald M. Reaven (who put the syndrome on the map in 1988 in the [http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/37/12/1595 Banting lecture], named after Frederick Banting). * CHAOS (Australia) It is ''not'' related to: * Fragile X syndrome (a chromosome abnormality); * Syndrome X - this term is now mainly used for a type of angina pectoris where there is cardiac ischemia on exercise testing but no causative atherosclerosis on a coronary angiogram.

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms and features are: * Diabetes mellitus type II (or ''impaired glucose tolerance'' or insulin resistance); * High blood pressure; * Central obesity and difficulty losing weight; * High cholesterol (combined hyperlipidemia): ** Elevated Low density lipoprotein; ** Decreased High density lipoprotein; ** Elevated triglycerides; * Fatty liver (especially in concurrent obesity). Associated diseases are: * Polycystic ovarian syndrome; * Hemochromatosis (iron overload); * Acanthosis nigricans (a skin condition featuring dark patches); * Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (extreme form of fatty liver).

Diagnosis

The above diseases are all diagnosed separately; please see the relevant articles. The Adult Treatment Panel III of the National Cholesterol Education Program defined the diagnosis as three or more of the following five: * Increased waist circumference (>=102 cm in men and >=88 cm in women), indicating central obesity obesity * ... [ Read More ]

External Resources

IBC: Targeting Metabolic Syndrome - Conference to update on risk factors and the development of therapeutics. Three day meeting in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

eMedicine - Hyperventilation Syndrome - Condition in which minute ventilation exceeds metabolic demands, resulting in hemodynamic and chemical changes that produce characteristic symptoms. Information about this disorder including possible treatment.

The Merck Manual: Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders - Chapters on a variety of endocrine problems such as hyperlipidemia, polyglandular deficiency syndromes, the porphyrias, amyloidosis, and others.

Optimal Management of Hypertension and Obesity in the Metabolic Syndrome - A continuing medical education monograph on the Metabolic Syndrome, otherwise known as insulin resistance or Syndrome X. In PDF.

Manuela Martinez Foundation for Children with Metabolic Diseases - The M.M.F. is dedicated to the research, diagnosis and treatment of children with lipid diseases, Zellweger's Syndrome, Infantile Refsum's, and other peroxisomal diseases.

Syndrome X Association - Support and education for those suffering from obesity, insulin resistance, PCOS and a host of related conditions that make up Metabolic Syndrome X.

For Your Health - High Cholesterol Risks - High cholesterol, lipids, lipoproteins, LDL HDL, triglycerides, and metabolic syndrome. Offers answers as to what it all means, and how to treat it.

e-Medicine: Genetics and Metabolic Disease: MKS - Meckel-Gruber syndrome, an introduction, clinical, differentials, work up, treatment and follow up.

Margate Animal Hospital - Traditional and holistic veterinary practice in Margate, New Jersey provides care for companion animals, exotic pets, birds and reptiles. Information on herbs, homeopathy, chiropractic, leaky gut syndrome, metabolic nutrition balancing, Bach Flower Remedies, Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Technique, immuno-augmentative therapy for cancer, pet foods, and healing crisis.

Metabolic syndrome doubles stroke risk - [CNN]

Related Pages on HealthTales.com:

Metabolic Disorders
Down Syndrome
Down syndrome
Asperger's Syndrome
Behcet's Syndrome
Cushing's Syndrome
Fragile X Syndrome
Klinefelter's Syndrome
Marfan Syndrome
Premenstrual Syndrome