Symptoms:

Most of the disorders associated with metabolic syndrome don’t have obvious signs or symptoms. One sign that is visible is a large waist circumference. And if  blood sugar is high, might notice the signs and symptoms of diabetes — such as increased thirst and urination, fatigue, and blurred vision.

Causes:

Metabolic syndrome is closely linked to overweight or obesity and inactivity.

It’s also linked to a condition called insulin resistance. Normally, digestive system breaks down the foods you eat into sugar. Insulin is a hormone made by pancreas that helps sugar enter cells to be used as fuel.

In people with insulin resistance, cells don’t respond normally to insulin and glucose can’t enter the cells as easily. As a result, your blood sugar levels rise even as your body churns out more and more insulin to try to lower your blood sugar.

Diagnosis:

According to latest Indian guidelines, metabolic syndrome is diagnosed when a patient has at least 3 of the following 5 conditions:

• Fasting glucose ≥100 mg/dL (or on treatment)
• Blood pressure ≥130/85 mm Hg (or on treatment)
• Triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL (or on treatment)
• HDL-C < 40 mg/dL in men or < 50 mg/dL in women (or on treatment)

Waist circumference ≥90 cm (35 in) in men or ≥80 cm (32 in) in women 

Treatments:

If aggressive lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise aren’t enough, might need medications to help control your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.

Lifestyle changes

making healthy lifestyle changes can help prevent or delay serious health problems, such a heart attack or stroke. A healthy lifestyle includes.

Regular physical activity

It is recommended to get at least 30 minutes of exercise, such as brisk walking, daily. Look for ways to increase activity any chance you get, such as walking instead of driving and using the stairs instead of an elevator.

Weight loss

Losing atleast 10 percent of body weight can reduce insulin resistance and blood pressure and decrease risk of diabetes. It is also important to maintain weight loss. If you are struggling with taking off weight and keeping it off, options might be available, such as medications or bariatric surgery.

Healthy diet

Healthy-eating plans, such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the Mediterranean diet, emphasize eating:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• High-fibre whole grains
• Lean protein

And healthy-eating plans tend to recommend limiting:

• Sugar-sweetened beverages
• Alcohol
• Salt
• Sugar
• Fat, especially saturated fat and trans fat

Stopping smoking

Stopping cigarettes greatly improves your overall health.

Reducing or managing stress

Physical activity, meditation, yoga and other programs can help you handle stress and improve emotional and physical health.

The following factors increase chances of having metabolic syndrome:

• Age.
• Ethnicity Indians are more at risk.
• Obesity.
• Diabetes.
• Other diseases. non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, polycystic ovary syndrome or sleep apnoea.

• Type 2 diabetes : If patients do not make lifestyle changes to control excess weight, may develop insulin resistance, which can cause blood sugar levels to rise. Eventually, insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes.
• Heart and blood vessel disease: High cholesterol and high blood pressure can contribute to the build-up of plaques in arteries. These plaques can narrow and harden arteries, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

A lifelong commitment to a healthy lifestyle may prevent the conditions that cause metabolic syndrome. A healthy lifestyle includes:

• Getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days.
• Eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, lean protein and whole grains.
• Limiting saturated fat and salt in diet.
• Maintaining a healthy weight.
• Not smoking.