"Get to the heart of
metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome — a combination of risk factors that are linked to being inactive, overweight and obese — is becoming increasingly common in the United States. In fact, almost 25 percent of adults have it. People with metabolic syndrome are twice as likely to develop heart disease compared with those who don’t. They’re also five times more likely to develop diabetes.

Know your factors
Metabolic syndrome may be diagnosed if you have at least three of the following risk factors:

* A large waist — 35 inches or more for women and 40 inches or more for men.
* A triglyceride level of 150 mg/dL or higher.
* A low HDL, or “good” cholesterol, level — less than 40 mg/dL for men and less than 50 mg/dL for women.
* Higher than normal blood pressure — 130/85 mmHg or higher. However, if only one of your two blood pressure numbers is high, it’s still a risk factor of metabolic syndrome.
* Higher than normal fasting blood glucose level — 100 mg/dL
or higher.

The more risk factors you have, the greater your chance of developing heart disease or diabetes or having a stroke.

Risk management
If you have metabolic syndrome, treatment — such as making lifestyle changes — can help reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes. If you already have one or both of these conditions, lifestyle changes also may help you prevent or delay complications, such as heart attack and stroke.

To get started, talk with your doctor. He or she may suggest that you:

Shed excess weight. If you’re overweight, dropping those extra pounds can make a big difference to your health. Being overweight puts stress on your heart and increases your risk of heart disease. Losing even 7 to 10 percent of your weight can bring health benefits. If you weigh 250 pounds, for example, that’s about 18 to 25 pounds.

Choose a healthful diet. Eating healthful foods not only will help you lose weight, but it may help you lower your cholesterol, too. Choose foods high in soluble fiber and low in fat, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Step it up. Be sure to talk with your doctor before beginning a new exercise program or significantly increasing your level of physical activity. Your doctor may prescribe an exercise program that’s designed just for you.

In general, people with metabolic syndrome should maintain a moderate level of activity — such as brisk walking — for at least 30 minutes, at least five days a week. It’s fine to break it up into chunks of 10 minutes or more to get to your total. Talk with your doctor about working up to 60 minutes a day, every day of the week.

Quit smoking. It’s harmful to your heart. It also raises triglyceride levels and lowers HDL cholesterol.

In some cases, your doctor may also prescribe medicines to control individual risk factors, such as high blood pressure.

Steps to prevention
A healthful lifestyle is vital if you have metabolic syndrome. And, even if you only have one risk factor, such as high blood pressure, it’s important to take steps to control it. Healthful lifestyle changes may help prevent metabolic syndrome."