Metabolic syndrome is a combination of medical disorders, which increases the risk of acquiring heart diseases and diabetes mellitus type 2 (Bray, 2007). According to Ford, Giles, and Dietz (2002), metabolic syndrome is also known as syndrome X or insulin resistance syndrome. This syndrome is very common in US and it mainly affects the elderly people.
According to Grundy et al. (2004), there are two major risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome. The first risk factor is a condition known as central disorders, which is characterized by excessive body weight and enlargement of body around the trunk. The second risk factor is a condition known as insulin resistance disorder. If a patient is suffering from this condition, the body cells fail to absorb glucose causing it to circulate in the blood vessels and this causes a rise in blood sugar levels and body fats (Grundy, et al, 2004). Ford et al. (2002) argues that, there are other risk factors, which include old age, lack of body exercise, bad eating habits, stress, hormonal imbalances in the body, and heart disease among other genetically related factors (Bray, 2007). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome shows that people with obesity are the most vulnerable. In fact, research has proved that most western countries including US have a high prevalence rate of 25 percent compared to other parts of the world (Bray, 2007).
Metabolic syndrome is easily noticeable. Mainly, the major symptoms include central obesity and overweight, high blood pressure, hypertension, high blood sugar levels, and elevated fats levels in the body (Bray, 2007). According to Ford et al. (2002), a physician can observe some basic signs such as darkening of armpits and cases of liver disease among the patients. In most cases, tests can be done to help in assessment and management of metabolic syndrome. Grundy et al. (2004) says that, the most common tests include measuring of blood pressure, glucose level and body fats. All these tests should be carried out regularly on individuals with higher risk to help reduce and prevent occurrence of the syndrome.
In addition to this, metabolic syndrome can be treated either by use of medical or non-medical technique (Bray, 2007). The main objective of non-medical treatment is to change the patient’s lifestyle since most of them are physical inactive. This can be achieved by eating foods containing low calories and fats, and by reducing the amount of salt intake. Alternatively, food for patients with metabolic syndrome should be cooked using liquid oil containing low cholesterol level. Unlike solid fats, liquid oil contains low cholesterol. The opinion is that, the patient should use fish oil from time to time, walk to burn excess calories, and attend gym regularly to exercise the body. Most importantly, such individuals should quit smoking and taking alcohol.
In other cases, medical treatment may be required and it mainly involves use of drugs that lower body fats, use of antihypertensive drugs to lower blood pressure, and use of drugs that facilitate blood glucose uptake in the body cells to avoid insulin resistance (Bray, 2007). In case the patient is not treated, complications may arise. The patient may develop kidney diseases, liver problems, blood vessels diseases or stroke (Ford, et al, 2002).
It is important to educate the family members and the patient on basic prevention techniques. As preventive measures, it is essential to exercise a lot, eat healthy, quit smoking and drinking, maintain healthy body weight, and attend clinic regularly.
Reference List
Bray, G. (2007). The metabolic syndrome and obesity. New York: Humana Press.
Ford, E., Giles, H., & Dietz, W. (2002). Prevalence of metabolic syndrome among US adults: findings from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Journal of the American Medical Association 285 (3), pp. 356–359.
Grundy, M., Brewer, B., Cleeman, I., Smith, C., & Lenfant, D. (2004). For the Conference Participants. Definition of metabolic syndrome: report of the National, Heart, Lung, and Blood. Journal of American Heart Association 109 (1), pp. 433-438.